Tom Hardy - woah

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2015)

Imagine a movie about Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas, but give him an identical twin and give everybody a cup of tea. That's pretty much Legend in a nutshell.
First of all, shut up anyone who says this movie is bad because it glorifies gangsters. Anyone who comes out of this movie wanting to be like the Kray brothers is an idiot. Sure, Brian Helgeland never really shows them to be evil like Scott Cooper did with Whitey Bulger, but I watch a movie to be entertained, and Legend did that job and then some.
Lets talk about Tom Hardy. The man is something truly spectacular. Its very easy to forget that Ron and Reggie are played by the same actor, thanks to a solid hair and makeup department and great subtle nuances by Hardy. When you can wrap your head around them both being Hardy, your mind will be blown. Reggie Kray is an affable, very British, charming, charismatic realist. Ron is dumb as a plank, slow-witted, rude, crazy, has awful social skills and is so much more physically menacing than his brother. I don't know how they did it, but despite being played by the same man Ron always looked bigger than Reggie. Its a hats off to Emily Browning, who has come a long way since last year's Pompeii to give a very likable performance as Reggie's wife Frances and yet share no chemistry with Hardy in the next scene. David Thewlis also gets a fairly decent role and adds his veteran gravity to it.
Brian Helgeland is probably my star writer/director of the year. I think many will have problems with how funny Legend ends up being when it might not have been intended that way, but I was loving it. There are some very witty insults thrown around, and a couple of beautiful recurring jokes and motifs that still get a reaction out of you (laughter or fright) the third time they pop up. Hardy's Ron Kray is a big part of the humour. Carter Burwell's score is playful at times and menacing at others, a great storytelling technique as well.
What sets Legend apart for me is that the major fight scenes, including one spectacular showdown between Reggie and Ron, are infused with meaning. The biggest theme throughout the film is the bond between the brothers and how one is always dragged along with the other. Reggie goes away, that leaves Ron in charge, whether we like it or not. Reggie may be just as evil as Ron - they share the same gene pool after all. A climactic showdown at the end of the film between the twins is a perfect way to end the film, and even though I knew Reggie's hissed insult was coming, to hear it out loud really hammered it in.
Legend felt a bit long (not slow, just long) but I loved every single scene in the movie. I'd struggle to trim 5 minutes without losing a scene I loved. This is one of my favourite gangster movies of all time. Ignore the critics everyone, and see this movie! Do yourself a favour!