Legend - starring Tom Hardy as both Kray Twins

cloud493

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzkTbO78L5k

Looks pretty good to me.

JP Liz V1

Bronson and now Kray twins, well done Tom Hardy very impressive bold choices, interestingly Brian Helgeland is writer and director

weemcd

This looks superb. Serious man crush on Hardy.

fin12

I absolutely love Tom Hardy, he is so gorgeous, its unbelievable and such a brillant actor, everyone should go see his latest film child 44, brillant performance from Tom again.

Custardpi

Looks interesting. Coincidently tonight I've just watched the 1990 Kemp brothers film. It focused more on the impact of the Kray's career on those around them, particularly the women in their lives, which was a novel approach compared to many gangster films before & since. It certainly didn't allow the viewer to think there was any glamour about the Kray universe. There's a lot that the new film could deal with from a different perspective, particularly looking at the trial & prison life of the pair, which is something the 1990 film almost completely left out.

Gwynplaine

Looking forward to this. Tom Hardy hasn't been in a bad film yet. Watched The Drop over the weekend, great movie. Pity about poor Tony Soprano.

BrookieD

Watched the trailer and got a sense of Goodfellas from it - looks the dogs though ;-)

Dee24

BrookieD wrote: »

Watched the trailer and got a sense of Goodfellas from it - looks the dogs though ;-)

Yes I totally got that vibe from it too. Cannot wait. I love tom hardy.

MagicMarker

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Tom Hardy hasn't been in a bad film yet.

Star Trek Nemesis says hello.

Hardy has been in more ****e/semi-ok/meh movies than he's been in good movies.

dark crystal

Have my ticket booked for next Thursday - can't wait!

The trailers look great and if Hardy's performances in Bronson and Locke are anything to go by, I'm expecting something very special.

I know it's not officially released until next week, but has anyone come across any early reviews yet?

HamsterFace

Yeah looking forward to this. Hardy is intriguing but has been in a lot of movies I haven't really liked also, hope to enjoy this!

fin12

Ya cant wait to see this, Love Tom Hardy, absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was just reading about the krays today on Wikipedia, One of the brothers had a one night stand with Barbara Windsor(Peggy from Eastenders).

darragh o meara

fin12 wrote: »

Ya cant wait to see this, Love Tom Hardy, absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was just reading about the krays today on Wikipedia, One of the brothers had a one night stand with Barbara Windsor(Peggy from Eastenders).

So that's where Phil gets it from

Looking forward to seeing this too, trailer looks decent.

fin12

darragh o meara wrote: »

So that's where Phil gets it from

Looking forward to seeing this too, trailer looks decent.

hahha ya :)

fin12

dark crystal wrote: »

Have my ticket booked for next Thursday - can't wait!

The trailers look great and if Hardy's performances in Bronson and Locke are anything to go by, I'm expecting something very special.

I know it's not officially released until next week, but has anyone come across any early reviews yet?

There's a review in the Dailymail online today, Headline is Tom Hardy delivers a double whammy but his film's too soft on the kray's.

sb213

This looks very good, big fan of Tom, but i want to see some diversity from Him... All recent characters are quite similar.

Shelga

Looks good but have a feeling it will make the Krays out to be superstars.

Was listening to an interview with the director on BBC Radio 4 (not actually in my sixties :P) and he just fawned over them, seemed in awe.

By all accounts they were both horrible murderous b*stards so a bit of balance in the story would be nice.

Will reserve judgement though!

dark crystal

Shelga wrote: »

Looks good but have a feeling it will make the Krays out to be superstars.

Was listening to an interview with the director on BBC Radio 4 (not actually in my sixties :P) and he just fawned over them, seemed in awe.

By all accounts they were both horrible murderous b*stards so a bit of balance in the story would be nice.

Will reserve judgement though!

I guess many gangster films could be accused of the same thing in fairness. Goodfellas, Scarface etc. all tended towards showing the sort of glamorous life being a violent wrong 'un could afford you. Viewers were rooting for Henry Hill and Tony Montana.

They always fall at the end though!

Custardpi

True, there's very few gangster films which end with the protagonist settling into a peaceful old age as a wealthy & respected pillar of the community. From the very earliest days of the genre it's always been made clear that the end of these people is almost always in a hail of bullets or a prison cell. The best of them of course are not simply about the career of some murderous thug like Dillinger, Mesrine or the Krays but manage to tell a story about the particular socio-economic & cultural context from which they emerge.

What remains so enduring about the story of the Krays is the way in which they became a part of the "swinging sixties" culture, being photographed by David Bailey & hanging out with film stars, just as US gangsters enjoyed associating with Frank Sinatra. This is of course contrasted with the dirt-poor circumstances from which they rose in the East End.

The rags to riches theme is one which has always attracted audiences, even if or perhaps because it's invariably shown to be a fleeting & superficial form of "riches" that gangsters attain. The ordinary person is both titilated by the vast wealth, sex & notoriety on offer & at the same time confirmed in their own moral righteousness by the ignominious end of the criminal.

Anyway, definitely looking forward to checking this one out in the next couple of weeks.

Lenin Skynard

Ah sure isn't he only gaaaarjess.

I'll take the spandau ballet pair over this any day. If I watch this I'll only end up comparing it to that original film. This looks too much like Goodfellas and I always find it a bit distracting when one actor is playing twins. Like those Linsay Lohan movies when she was a kid or that terrible one with Bette Midler from the '80s.

fin12

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Ah sure isn't he only gaaaarjess.

I'll take the spandau ballet pair over this any day. If I watch this I'll only end up comparing it to that original film. This looks too much like Goodfellas and I always find it a bit distracting when one actor is playing twins. Like those Linsay Lohan movies when she was a kid or that terrible one with Bette Midler from the '80s.

True and a dog lover.

Is the spandau ballet version good, whats that called, never watched it?

Mickeroo

fin12 wrote: »

True and a dog lover.

Is the spandau ballet version good, whats that called, never watched it?

Pretty sure it's just called The Krays.

ziggy23

Just seen it tonight. I really liked it , it did drag on a little bit but Tom was excellent in both roles particularly Ronnie. Most of the cinema was in knots laughing every time Ronnie was on screen I never realised how much of a nutcase he really was!
4 out of 5 for me

That_Guy

Fortunate enough to be at the premiere of this in the Savoy tonight. Loved every minute of it and never felt the film dragging on at all.

Thought it was an excellent portrayal of the Kray twins and gritty mobster life in London. I was absolutely enthralled.

I will have to go see it again with the gf at some stage. Good thing too because I'm not sure if it was Hardy's accent for Ronnie Kray or the sound system in the Savoy but I definitely missed out on a few lines of dialogue every now and again.

Could be down to the acting style but I'll need to see it again to be sure.

RDM_83 again

Shelga wrote: »

Looks good but have a feeling it will make the Krays out to be superstars.

Was listening to an interview with the director on BBC Radio 4 (not actually in my sixties :P) and he just fawned over them, seemed in awe.

By all accounts they were both horrible murderous b*stards so a bit of balance in the story would be nice.

Will reserve judgement though!

Will probably check it out but read an interesting article recently, that they weren't that successful or powerful gangsters they just had an interest in fame and notoriety.
If you look at what they actually did apart from meeting famous people via their clubs they were pretty small scale (at least they seem that way from a modern perspective).
So curious but hope they don't lay on the "kings of London/Underworld" angle too hard
Article here:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/03/the-selling-of-the-krays-how-two-mediocre-criminals-created-their-own-legendlegends

ziggy23

That_Guy wrote: »

Fortunate enough to be at the premiere of this in the Savoy tonight. Loved every minute of it and never felt the film dragging on at all.

Thought it was an excellent portrayal of the Kray twins and gritty mobster life in London. I was absolutely enthralled.

I will have to go see it again with the gf at some stage. Good thing too because I'm not sure if it was Hardy's accent for Ronnie Kray or the sound system in the Savoy but I definitely missed out on a few lines of dialogue every now and again.

Could be down to the acting style but I'll need to see it again to be sure.

Was at the same screening myself and noticed that too like Ronnie's voice was a bit mumbly in parts. Tom Hardy was excellent at portraying 2 completely different characters. Deffo worth a second viewing.

Mr E

There is a bit of a buzz about the poster disguising The Guardian's two star review.
Well played by the movie's marketing team.

Faith+1

You guys should check out another flick called The rise of the krays.

Was released this year straight to DVD but I thought it was a pretty unique take on the Kray twins. And yes in this one Ron is portrayed as a right headcase.

fin12

Faith+1 wrote: »

You guys should check out another flick called The rise of the krays.

Was released this year straight to DVD but I thought it was a pretty unique take on the Kray twins. And yes in this one Ron is portrayed as a right headcase.

Il prob check that out because I just watched the kemp brothers version a few days ago, not bad.

Shelga

Saw it last night. Thought Tom Hardy was really excellent, played the two brothers so differently and portrayed more depth to Reggie than the script really provided.

They did sort of glamorise them a bit but yeah, that's to be expected with the way they courted the media and were seen in the 60s.

I thought the wife, Frances, was the weak link. I felt the film dragged when she was on screen and didn't buy the romance between them, although there was some chemistry there. She was so drippy and naive- 'delicate' was how they put it, but I kept rolling my eyes when she kept

expecting Reggie to go straight for her.

Maybe that's how it was in reality but just didn't warm to the character or feel very sorry for her

Really entertaining movie though, much better than Man from U.N.C.L.E. which was the last one I saw.

Telecaster58

With the exception of Hardy, there was nothing to really excite in this film. In truth it was a little tedious. We got no real insight into the Krays with the exception of Ronnie being portrayed, correctly, as a total fruitcake. There was no exposition as to how they get to where they did in crimeland and the portaryal of the cops was pretty one dimensional. A major disappointment

candy-gal1

Absolutly loved it I did, saw it this afternoon and even though I knew kinda what to expect from the dad telling me about the actual twins back in the day, it surprised me how much it sucked you in, didnt leave you waiting for stuff to happen, made you wince, cry a bit, laugh, and think too

I admit the background of the twins could have been explained and delved into, as with the mother, but still all in all a great movie, great escapism, and would reccomend it and probably would go see it again!

dark crystal

Just got back from seeing it tonight and I have to say I was left quite disappointed.

Hardy, as always, is worth the price of admission, but the film itself was poorly padded out and didn't explore the roots of 'The Firm' or the relationship of the Kray brothers enough. It focused on Reggie and his anaemic wife's relationship far too much, which really wasn't that interesting. As brilliantly as Hardy played both roles, he did at stages turn the characters into caricatures imo.

Personally, I much preferred the 1990 version as it went much deeper into the Kray biography. You'd also miss the presence of the late, great Billie Whitelaw as the formidable matriarch who seemed a much larger influence on the boys than was suggested in this film.

Faith+1

dark crystal wrote: »

Personally, I much preferred the 1990 version as it went much deeper into the Kray biography. You'd also miss the presence of the late, great Billie Whitelaw as the formidable matriarch who seemed a much larger influence on the boys than was suggested in this film.

Haven't seen the movie yet but have to agree with you there. She was an amazing actress and was certainly one of the best characters in the 1990 flick.

darkdubh

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Ah sure isn't he only gaaaarjess.

I'll take the spandau ballet pair over this any day. If I watch this I'll only end up comparing it to that original film. This looks too much like Goodfellas and I always find it a bit distracting when one actor is playing twins. Like those Linsay Lohan movies when she was a kid or that terrible one with Bette Midler from the '80s.

I think Jeremy Irons did a very good job of playing twins in Dead Ringers.

duckysauce

Hardy was class . Film itself was a jusk ok a couple of great and uncomfortable scenes . Worth going to just to see Hardy though.

ktulu123

Loved it, hardy was amazing

****ING SING!!

Looper007

For Starters Tom Hardy is excellent as always as Reggie and Ronnie Kray, especially as Ronnie (he really does headcases better then anyone). It's deserving of award talk and he should get at least a Oscar nod.

Onto the film itself, I liked it wasn't in love with it, pity as I was expecting good time gangster film with this. The sad truth is whenever Tom Hardy isn't on screen the film drags, nothing agaisn't Emily Browning (who's easy on the eye) but Brian Helgeland biggest fault was having Frances Shea (Reggie's Wife) been front and centre. I still think even after watching this, I wish it was more a straight forward rags to riches to downfall tale of the Krays. It was sadly given up for the romance and eventually

death of Frances

rather then been a straight out biopic on both brothers. Browning isn't bad just she can't quite stand up to the might of Hardy's performance,

David Thewlis and Christopher Eccleston were sadly wasted in underwritten roles. Taron Egerton has a few moments to shine as Ronnie's sidekick/lover.
But the best performance from the supporting cast was Paul Bettany (Gangster No 1 still his greatest performance) as Charlie Richardson (who in real life was more feared and far more successful then the Krays) in a small cameo. The film would have benefited with given him more screen time as he was hugely enjoyable.

The film is at it's best during the down and dirty gangland scenes. The 18 rating deserving for two scenes

the brutal bar fight with hammer's and Reggie brutally stabbing of McVitie

, Anytime Ronnie is on screen the film brings it's A Game, sadly he's not on screen enough. That saying it's still a very enjoyable film and well worth checking out for Hardy and Bettany's cameo, I was expecting a lot more from this and it didn't quite match my expectations but I still buy when it comes out on DVD.

Looper007

dark crystal wrote: »

Personally, I much preferred the 1990 version as it went much deeper into the Kray biography. You'd also miss the presence of the late, great Billie Whitelaw as the formidable matriarch who seemed a much larger influence on the boys than was suggested in this film.

It's underrated and it has a darker feel which I wanted Legend to have but I still pick Legend over it myself.

Take the Kemp brother's out of that (they aren't bad just lack the menace of Hardy but I thought Gary Kemp did a good Ronnie Kray) put in Hardy, give the script a bit of a rewrite here and there, especially the 3rd act as it does begin to drag once Reggie's wife comes on the screen (a massive problem with both films). Then you would have had a perfect Kray brother's biopic, I think Legend wins out just by a few inches for me. But I did love Billie Whitelaw performance, the more downbeat feel to the film, Steven Berkoff OTT performance as George Cornell.

fin12

Tom Hardy is very good, but I actually think the kemp brothers version was better, I think you get a lot more of the background of the Krays in the Kemp version.

NachoBusiness

Great movie but poor film. Personally I feel biopics should be more film than movie, but there you go.

Sure the mere fact that Charlie Kray wasn't one of the main characters is absurd, considering how much he was part of their lives, particularly with regards to the running of the club. He wrote a book called Me and My Brothers before he died and it's quite an interesting read for anyone interested. Biased account obviously, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

FunLover18

Looper007 wrote:

Brian Helgeland biggest fault was having Frances Shea (Reggie's Wife) been front and centre.

This! I was left this film so disappointed mainly because despite the fact that Hardy is playing both twins and the marketing is completely focusing on his performances, I left the film feeling that in both roles he's a supporting character.

I knew nothing of the Kray twins going into and I can't say I know a lot more having seen the film. The film is essentially clips from their lives strung together by one of worst film narrations I've ever heard. Seriously it sounded like a kid's school project;then they did this, Ron was thinking that while Reggie was there, and then things changed, meanwhile I couldn't sleep, blah blah blah. Shut up. Tonally as well it was a bit off, at times it felt like a sitcom about two whacky gangster twins and then it would try to be more serious and it just didn't work.

I'd love to be able rave about Hardy's performance despite the poor film but quite the opposite, I find myself overwhelmed by the blandness of the film despite his performance. It feels like a TV film and had it been on TV I would've have changed channel.

tony1kenobi

I liked it. A couple walked out when Ron was spanking the rent boys arse. I found it funny that they drew the line there but not when lads were getting bludgeoned with hammers.

Looper007

tony1kenobi wrote: »

I liked it. A couple walked out when Ron was spanking the rent boys arse. I found it funny that they drew the line there but not when lads were getting bludgeoned with hammers.

Really?? a few were laughing at that scene including myself.

Exclamation Marc

Just back from seeing the film tonight.

I thought Tom Hardy was immense in his roles but the rest of the film felt really poorly paced.

Narration was horrible and the film was too focused on Frances. I would have liked to see more akin to the first pub fight scene but soon after that point it more or less became a study of Reggie and Frances' love-life (with passing references to Ron and Reggies criminal lives) as opposed to a gritty drama based on the Krays which I would have much preferred.

Some of Ron's scenese were hysterical but overall I left a bit disappointed.

FunLover18

I meant to ask

when Frances dies one of the Krays walks in and asks Frank where she is and goes into the bedroom. Was it Ron or Reggie? He seemed to be dressed like Ron and I could've sworn his hair was slicked back like Ron's but he didn't have glasses

Exclamation Marc

FunLover18 wrote: »

I meant to ask

when Frances dies one of the Krays walks in and asks Frank where she is and goes into the bedroom. Was it Ron or Reggie? He seemed to be dressed like Ron and I could've sworn his hair was slicked back like Ron's but he didn't have glasses

I assume it was Reggie

TerrorFirmer

Very enjoyable and it owes everything to Tom Hardy's incredible performance in both roles, but ultimately a little bit hollow and far less gritty and insightful than I would have liked.

Still absolutely worth a watch though.

JP Liz V1

Come award season could Hardy land double nominations as best actor for this film, is that even possible?

Into The Blue

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Come award season could Hardy land double nominations as best actor for this film, is that even possible?

Double win..
Best actor, Reggie
Best supporting actor, Ronnie.

fin12

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Come award season could Hardy land double nominations as best actor for this film, is that even possible?

Don't think so, I'd be pretty surprised if he got nominations for that. I dont think the film is box office enough.