Took great subject matter... then took a giant dump on it

Rating: 6/10 (26 January 2016)

An utterly disappointing and very confused film. I could not truly become involved in this film and grew restless watching it. It is surprisingly poorly written. The dialogue is wanting in many places and can appear disjointed at times.
The constant use of music from the period, perhaps intended to give "authenticity" ruins any gravitas or drama that this film might have possessed. Am I watching a "good old boy" buddy film? Am I watching a romance? Am I watching a Guy Richie film... the chosen music often makes the film seem almost comical. I half expect to see Vinnie Jones jump out at any second with bungled robberies and a comedy of errors.
It goes without saying that the only decent thing about this movie is Tom Hardy's performance - he is truly one of the kings of portraying this East End type of character.
Yet even with his excellent performances of both Ron and Reggie, there is only so much he could do with the poor and often disjointed dialogue. The special effects required to make Hardy appear on screen at the same time as both characters also is frequently noticeable and adds a fake air to the film.
The lead actress is insufferable. She is irritating as a narrator and even that there is a narrator of this film is irritating and lessens the impact that this film might have had. With the bouffant hair- styles of the 60s, she is the worst walking lollipop I've seen in awhile. Her giant head and twig body makes her look like she is about to topple over at any second.
Fans of historical films and of the history of English crime will be sorely disappointed. A much lower-budget film without the big stars, "The Rise of the Krays" makes for much more compelling viewing... by a long way. I would recommend that over this any day.
A waste of great subject matter, and a terrible waste of Hardy's talent.