duo role acting for Hardy

Rating: 6/10 (31 December 2016)

It's the 60's London. Reggie and Ron Kray (Tom Hardy) are twin low-life gangsters in the East End. Reggie is brutally violent but Ron is on another level. Ron is unstable especially when he doesn't take his pills. He's also unapologetically gay. Police detective Nipper Read (Christopher Eccleston) is after them but he's always one step behind. Reggie is taken Frances Shea (Emily Browning) who eventually becomes his wife. She's also the narrator of the movie. The twins rise up to the top with the downfall of their rivals and help from their business frontman Leslie Payne (David Thewlis). They get into a partnership with American mobster Angelo Bruno (Chazz Palminteri). The twin's connection is unbreakable and ultimately their downfall.
Tom Hardy gets to do some big-time duo role acting. His mannerisms for Ron are distracting at first. It takes a little time to get used to it. There is something slightly off about the movie. Its intensity is not high enough and I don't just mean its violence. The best scene is when the brothers fight. "Not the bottle" is a hilarious line. The brothers' relationship is the heart of the movie. Nipper is an underused character. Overall, Hardy is showing that he's stretching and taking chances.