"We're talking about being gangsters, that's what we are!"
Ronald Kray
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| Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, from Tarantino's new Alice in Wonderland... Or not. |
SYNOPSIS:
As most people should probably realise, Legend is the cinematic retelling of celebrity-gangster siblings Reggie and Ronni Kray. Penned and directed by Brian Helgeland, screenwriter of the fantastic LA Confidential and Man On Fire, Legend opens on Reggie's first encounter with Francis, the naive narrator of the story, and it is through her perspective that we see both her troubled relationship with the Kray brothers, as well as the hedonistic and violent pinnacle of their criminal empire before it's subsequent (and inevitable) collapse.
SCRIPT: 1/2
The first half of the film, lambasted by some critics as over glamorous, is intentionally rose-tinted because it's a story seen through the eyes of one who is head-over-heels in love with one of the central antagonists- here Frances is never intended to be anything other than an unreliable narrator. It's only when married that Frances, now jaded and growing rapidly more reliant on drugs, is in the full realisation that her "darling Reggie" has no intention of ever going 'straight'. It is in this second half of the story that this image of the 'lovable cockney rouge' begins to crumble. Tellingly, the colours are never so bright, the smiles never so sincere, and Reggie turns from antagonist to protagonist, and both brothers begin to sow the seeds of their own downfall...
The experience feels almost like watching two films; the transition is in no way gradual, it's actually quite jarring, but this suddenness makes the device all the more powerful. But, in spite of this novel approach, Legend is, in all truth, a simple nuts-and-bolts gangster film- only notable for the (supposedly) real-life subject matter (more on this later) and a towering duel performance from Tom Hardy.
PACE: 2/2
Despite the fairly standard gangster film arc of criminal-on-the-rise to criminal-on-the-fall, Legend moves at an expertly timed pace; characters are allowed to develop, the film favors tension over explicit violence (for the most part), and at just over 2 hours no moment ever feels too rushed or too stretched. The mid-way change in tone also works to wrong-foot viewers, meaning (whatever your thoughts are on other matters) you can never accuse the film of being dull.
ACTING: 2/2
This is truly where the film comes into it's own. Emily Browning (of Sucker Punch and Sleeping Beauty infamy) manages a London accent that's never less than 100% convincing (an achievement in itself, but coming from a native Australian when even most British actors can't manage it, all the more impressive), and her classic/soulful beauty is very well suited to the period setting of the film. But not only does Browning look and sound the part, her narration successfully grounds and frames the context of the film (only occasionally does it feel intrusive, but that's hardly the fault of the actress). The ever-dependable Christopher Eccleston and David Thewlis make the most of smaller roles but are never less than engaging, as you'd expect from such talent, while Paul Bettany is also very good but wasted as a rival gangster, his screen time accumulating to approximately seventy seconds... Although (perhaps wrongly?) I sense Bettany's part may have once been a larger role now trimmed during the editing...
So that leaves us with what can only be described as the linchpin of Legend's success, Tom Hardy. I'm not sure I have anything to add to what's already been said about Hardy's roles, but I'll give lip service where it's due: Yes, he's brilliant, and very fast you'll forget you're watching the same man in both roles- such is the level of both his personal magnetism, intimidating bulk, and the CGI trickery. As Reggie, Hardy is, to begin with, all twinkle-eyed charm and devil-may-care swagger, but slowly we begin to see the sad truth that, despite his seeming reluctance to be a gangster, Reggie is secretly very much a danger through-and-through. Hardy's Ronnie is, at times, dangerously close to parody, but an alarming knee-jerk suddenness to violent outbursts, as well as a very unnerving stare, ensure the character will forever be compared favorably to Martin Scorsese's back catalog of psychopaths, and yet somehow Hardy manages to weave a sense of tragedy into this character; like an abused dog gone feral, you can pity the beast but that never makes it any less frighting.
Oddly enough, it is Reggie who gets the film's most comical lines, of which there are a great many. You may not realise this going in to the film, but it's probably funnier in it's first half than most comedies. Hardy utilises his wit and playful delivery to great effect, and as such the audience will find themselves reluctantly warming to the Kray brothers, being seduced into their world, and ultimately duped by the persona of 'lovable cockney rouges' in much the same way as the film's narrator.
AESTHETIC: 2/2
The film's sense of time and place is very astute, largely down to a canny use of fashion and songs, including such genre-defining hits as I'm Into Something Good, Chapel of Love, Somethin' Stupid, and The Look of Love. The street sets, as well as the street decoration and CGI alterations of existing locals, is also very convincing while never being too over-stated or detracting. While I rarely comment on soundtracks, it's worth pointing out that singer/songwriter Duffy is well applied throughout the original score, just as she was hired for the similarly 60's-set The Boat That Rocked. Duffy has a voice that suits the period perfectly.
INTENTION: 1/2
It's hard to guess exactly what Brian Helgeland was hoping to achieve when he first put pen to paper; it's unlikely that he would have known then that his project would live or die by it's central performance. As a biopic, more than a few people have argued that Legend is selective with it's truths, as most biopics are in the attempt of making a story work on film: in reality (according to those who knew them best, lovers and enforcers alike), there was little between Reggi and Ronnie's temperament. In some claims, a jealous Ronnie has even been accredited with Frances' death, and it's widely accepted that the attempted assassination on Leslie Payne was agreed on jointly by both brothers, not simply the unhinged reaction of a distrustful Reggie... As a gangster film, Legend makes little attempt to break new ground, so if you're familiar with the genre (even if you're unfamiliar to the Krays) you'll be able to see the general trajectory of the film with ease. More than liberal traces of Scarface, Good-fellas and The Godfather are inherent in Legend's makeup- not simply because the story of the Krays demands it, but partly out of what feels like a lack of inventiveness.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10
Taken purely as a biopic Legend is, at best, shallow, and at worst in danger of poor taste. Taken simply as a gangster-flick, Legend is both conventional and uninspiring... However, Legend makes no claim to be either, and so taken as a slice of pure entertainment, a showcase for a bravura and avant-garde performance by Hardy, and an undeniably brazen calling card for everyone else involved (from the supporting cast, the filming crew and the art department) Legend is a roaring, swaggering and surprisingly nuanced success. Brian Helgeland, like the duel antagonists and protagonists of his film, may not have reached true greatness, but he has at least jumped two-footed into the arena and made his presence very known. Love it, hate it, but you can't ignore it.
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