RECENT WATCH: LEGEND

A biographical film about two real life criminals can be a difficult balancing act. If you don't allow the charm of the characters to shine through you are left with a suffocating crime-doesn't-pay cautionary tale that is no fun for anyone. Go too much the other way and you seek to idolise, making murdering gangsters in to heroes. Using the perspective of Reggie’s first wife Francis allows us to walk the fine line between being enamoured and frightened.

What I liked about Francis was that she is not naive. I've seen a lot of gangster films and too often the female characters are shallow and careless. They stand by their men through every fight and dodgy deal, just as long as the money keeps rolling in. Maybe in a more realistic mind set, Francis constantly wants Reggie to leave crime behind and go straight.

In many ways 'Legend' is a film of two halves. Like Francis we spend the first half growing fond of Reggie while looking past violent crime. Ronnie is there to make us feel uneasy but at the same time provide occasional comic relief. Through to the second half and the charm filled facade begins to disappear and the tone of the film darkens through the eyes of Emily Browning's Francis to the point where we eagerly await the downfall. 

One problem I had with legend was that I was never sure where we were on the timeline of events. Maybe I was being unobservant but when the film ended I couldn’t work out what the time span of the plot was. While browning's East end narration feels clichéd at times, it aids in understanding the plot and bringing the audience up to speed. 

The use of body doubles and shot layering is seamless and as expected Hardy pulls off playing two characters brilliantly. You find yourself forgetting you are watching one actor opposite a body double and see two completely different men. Hardy achieves chemistry with himself to produce a convincing on screen brotherly relationship between two different characters. This is a tale of two brothers but has only one protagonist – that is Reggie. The twins share a face and parents but the similarities seem to end there. Reggie is the brains while he attempts to manage his unhinged and erratic brother to be the brawn of the pair. The film spends a lot of time discussing the mental health of Ronnie Cray and how Reggie tried to control him. 

Legend is stylish with substance. Two performances by Tom Hardy are more than worthy of awards season buzz. Supporting actors including Emily Browning, Paul Anderson and Taron Egerton also hold their own against the acting heavy weight. My hopes for Legend were fulfilled; a high bench mark for what could be an exciting winter at the cinema.