'Legend' A Review

Legend is a crime drama about the Kray twins in 1960's London. Reggie and Donald Kray(Tom Hardy) are the crime bosses of the East End as the film progresses, with the help of the American mafia, they gain control of the entire city of London. Reggie woos and marries local girl Frances(Emily Browning who also narrates) and attempts to keep his psychotic brother in check.

The plot is predictable and has the lackadaisical pacing of a pedestrian biopic. The film uses exhausted gangster troupes used to better effect in predecessors Scarface and Goodfellas but Hardy's dual performances elevates the conventional content beyond the formulaic. He soars as the unfettered Donald and grounds as the charming Reggie. Although the cast sports some significant talent the others are unable to shake the constraints of the script.

The soundtrack seems to be all period appropriate which inhibits its pacing, the trailer contained more contemporary and fevered scoring which was much more effective, pairing well with the violence in the film and Hardy's performances. The film itself relies solely on the momentum of Hardy to carry it along.

Unremarkable save for Hardy's magnetic performances.

Rent It.