Movie Review: Legend
Legend is a film rooted in mediocrity that sadly fails to cash in on the mesmerizing double performance from Tom Hardy. Set in 1960s London, the film begins with Ronald Kray (Tom Hardy), 
incarcerated in a mental health facility. He has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Reginald Kray (also played by the stunning Tom Hardy) is walking the streets of London infuriating the police presence that is constantly surrounding him. It is here that he meets one of his crony’s sisters, Frances, played by the incendiary Emily Browning. After Ronald threatens his doctor into declaring him sane, the brothers are reunited and begin to wreak havoc on the East End.
It’s here where Legend starts to drag. What begins as a quiet meditation on gangster life in London slowly becomes an unbearable mess of a film. Legend suffers from the problems of having too many working parts set in motion at once. We never fully enter into the character’s psyche for too long before jumping into another new scene we know little to nothing about. We don’t care enough for these characters and what was surely meant to be a film with a bang, ends up merely whimpering it’s way all the way to A dour finale. Writer/director, Brian Helgeland, never quite knows where to direct the focus of the film and it’s a shame that most of the frames end up feeling flat. Helgeland, who only has seven films underneath his belt, seems to be in over his head for this outing.
There is one surefire reason to see Legend and that’s Hardy’s performance. He is self-assured and coolly calm as Reggie Kray. Hardy infuses Reggie with the brooding magic of the gangsters of yore. He is rather tight lipped and speaks only when spoken too, but when he speaks he commands the attention of the room. Hardy gives Ronnie Kray life and purpose. He ascends the stereotypes of just another mentally insane person and gives the gangster gravitas and wit. Hardy also has some gnarly fight scenes with himself. I can only imagine what shooting those scenes must have looked like. Unfortunately, Hardy’s Oscar-caliber performance is all but wasted in this brooding mess of a film.
Lastly, the chemistry between Hardy and Browning is palpable. The moments between them on the screen are both fiery and fierce. You can tell that the two actors spent a lot of time in rehearsal getting the character’s nuances down pat. They look so good together; they could pass as a real life couple. It’s really beautiful watching their relationship unfold and is one of the key points of the film.
Ultimately, Legend falls flat on many accounts. The film is less than satisfying and is rather quite boring. I say save your money and spend it on the film when it comes to video. All this being said, Hardy’s performance is the stuff of legend and almost saves the film from being the boring lackluster blockbuster it is so longs to be.
Matt Santia
Latest posts by Matt Santia (see all)
- Hustlin’ His Way to the Top: The Films of David O. Russell - December 19, 2013
- The Five Best Martin Scorsese Films - December 11, 2013
