LEGEND (2015)

Brian Helgeland directed this film from his own screenplay based on the book THE PROFESSION OF VIOLENCE by John Pearson and tells the true story of Ronnie Kray and his twin brother Reggie Kray and their eventual downfall in the gangster underworld of London in the 1960s. What this film has that is a true standout is a couple of extraordinary performances from Tom Hardy who plays both Kray brothers. It’s also to the credit of the new technology that this can be achieved without any noticeable distraction to the overall quality of the story. It must have been a real headache for whoever was in charge of continuity (usually the script supervisor) and everyone involved with the physical production. Though an extremely violent story, it is not gratuitous in its’ execution, though this is not a film for anyone under the age of sixteen or adverse to violent storytelling. A fine cast that includes Emily Browning, Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis, Taron Egerton, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Bettany Colin Morgan and Tara Fitzgerald among others. Tom Hardy should have been nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor, for frankly there are few actors who could pull off this kind of acting feat.