Double the Tom Hardy doesn't quite make it double the fun

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2016)

Any movie should be able to stand on its own, independent of whatever source material or basis in historical fact it has. Keeping that in mind, I'm not terribly concerned with LEGEND's historical accuracy. More importantly, does it efficiently tell an interesting story? I'm a bit mixed on that element, but there is no denying that, however gimmicky the decision was, Tom Hardy killed it in his double role as Reggie and Ronnie Kray, gangsters from London's East End. No matter what flaws the film has, and there are more than a few, LEGEND is worth at least one viewing for Tom Hardy alone, who seems to choose projects where he can shine as an actor, regardless of whether the material deserves it, or his supporting cast is given much to do. I thought he did a great job differentiating the two performances, although the actor's bag of tricks was more obvious with his choices for Ronnie (fake teeth, glasses, accent, etc.). The next most engaging character was Emily Browning as Frances Shea, Reggie's wife, who also serves as the film's omniscient narrator. What initially seems like an oddball choice actually makes sense later on, although divulging why would be a spoiler (for those unfamiliar with the history, which I was). The film also has gorgeous cinematography, immaculate production design, and a well-chosen soundtrack full of 1960's pop tunes. It's these last few things, outside of the gangster genre, tie it to something to which it never quite lives up, i.e., Martin Scorsese's own forays into gangster pictures. One would have to be completely ignorant of cinema to miss parallels between LEGEND, and Scorsese's GOODFELLAS and CASINO. Director Brian Helgeland clearly shows affection for those films, but nothing he does here rises above the level of simple homage or, in a few cases, outright theft. Just to provide a few examples, Reggie and Ronnie's relationship has shades of key relationships in GOODFELLAS and CASINO, and Ronnie at times seems like a riff on Joe Pesci's character from those films (with homosexuality thrown in for good measure). There's also a wedding scene set to the Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" and a scene late in the film which is kind of like the "Get your shinebox!" scene in GOODFELLAS. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with lifting elements or paying homage to previous films, which is something that happens all of the time. For it to work, there needs to be some fresh perspective or take on it, and I don't think that Helgeland ever does that. Outside of the Krays' contentious relationship with each other, there was no unifying theme to drive forward what was a rather unfocused narrative, often feeling like a collection of scenes instead of a coherent story. In short, it was like a jewel-encrusted plastic crown. There's also the issue of the title, which I don't think it earned. Nothing in the film would suggest that the Krays were "legends," and merely asserting it as fact was insufficient. All of this being said, there definitely is an audience for this film and I have a feeling like they (including myself) will want to see it at least once. It doesn't compare favorably to its cinematic forebears, but there is enough good in it to make a loose recommendation.