By Eric Hillis, http://www.TheMovieWaffler.com
originally published: 11/21/2015
Given how a substantial portion of the British film industry has subsisted on London set gangster flicks over the past couple of decades (you can blame Guy Ritchie for the trend), it’s remarkable that the city’s most famous real-life mobsters, the Kray twins, haven’t found their exploits mined by countless low budget filmmakers. It’s 25 years since Peter Medak’s take on the subject, 1990’s The Krays, which cast pop-star brothers Gary and Martin Kemp as the title duo. Brian Helgeland’s Legend takes the next logical casting step, dropping Tom Hardy into both roles.
Unlike Medak’s film, which focused on the relationship between the brothers and their domineering mother, Helgeland’s film begins in 1966, with paranoid schizophrenic Ronnie newly released from a psychiatric ward, thanks to the intimidation of his psychiatrist. Waiting on the outside is his twin brother Reggie, who has been building quite the criminal empire in his twin’s absence. Thus begins a riff on Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, as Ronnie’s psychotic behaviour threatens to tear apart everything Reggie has built.
Every piece of marketing around Legend has centered around the dual casting of Hardy, and while it’s fascinating to watch at the outset, it quickly becomes a millstone around the film’s neck. The effect is quite poor when compared to contemporaries like Armie Hammer’s Winklevoss twins in The Social Network and Sam Rockwell and his clone in Moon. There’s usually a physical division between the two brothers - bar counters, tables etc - which draws unwanted attention to the effect, and in several scenes the eye-lines don’t quite match. Hardy gives an energetic dual performance but too many scenes evoke that classic Star Trek episode in which William Shatner faced off against an evil, goateed version of himself.
Writer-director Brian Helgeland is best known for penning the screenplay for L.A. Confidential, a movie that brilliantly conveyed a sense of time and place, making Los Angeles one of the film’s main characters. Sadly, this isn’t a feat repeated here; London is hidden in the background here, glimpsed through green-screen windows as a poorly rendered CG skyline, as artificial as Frasier’s Seattle. London was the center of the earth in 1966, a city at its cultural peak the way New York would be a decade later, but Legend may as well be set in Coventry in 1973 for all the context we’re given.
At over two hours, the film wastes a lot of time on extended dialogue scenes, telling us constantly how powerful the Krays are, but it rarely demonstrates this visually. Much of the film focuses on the doomed relationship between Reggie and his young bride Frances (Emily Browning), who provides an unnecessary voiceover narration, and if you’ve seen any gangster movie, their argumentative scenes together will feel all too familiar. A sub-plot involving Chazz Palminteri’s representative of the American Mafia leads nowhere, and feels inserted purely to help sell the movie Stateside. Christopher Eccleston pops up as the cop investigating the brothers, but this is another element that’s barely covered.
The sight of Tom Hardy attempting to out-act himself is just about enough to hold your attention for a good portion of the film, but after a while the lack of substance begins to weigh heavy and the strings become all too visible. East End? More like dead end!
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American Doctor
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 11:00am
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
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Alien: American Dream Denied - New Jersey Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
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The Lorraine - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 4:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
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Cuny Student Short Series
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 10:00am
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
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Free Joan Little - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJThe story of the 1975 groundbreaking case of Joan Little who was the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. Joan was a Black incarcerated woman in North Carolina who killed her white prison guard who was trying to rape her. Little’s murder trial became a cause celebre bringing together prominent advocates, black power activists, white feminists and anti-death penalty activists while catalyzing a nationwide discussion on sexual assault. With rare archival footage, contemporary interviews and the folk anthem that carried her cause,
Free Joan Little captures the spirit of resistance that made history.
Call Me Micky - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 4:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
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Buried Under Years Of Dust - East Coast Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 5:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJHow does someone go from not communicating for 25 years to narrating her life story?
Buried Under Years of Dust traces the remarkable journey of Emily Grodin, a woman silenced by autism, finally finding her voice. Despite Emily’s increasing frustration, physical outbursts, and violent meltdowns, Emily’s parents never abandoned hope that their daughter would one day share her thoughts, feelings, and deep intelligence. Then, using a controversial assisted-typing technique, Emily had an extraordinary breakthrough. One of her first sentences was “I have been buried under years of dust.” In a time when American health officials call into question the value and contributions of people with autism, Emily has the mic, and she’s got a lot to say.
Bea Arthur: The Documentary - "i've Done Everything Except Porn" - Centerpiece - New Jersey Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
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Teaneck International Film Festival names first recipient of Sandi Klein Creative Woman in Film Award
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Teaneck International Film Festival Names Katie Camosy Recipient of 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for "Gaslit"
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Puffin Foundation have selected director Katie Camosy as the recipient of the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for her documentary Gaslit. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and trophy and recognizes emerging filmmakers whose work embodies TIFF's guiding theme, "Activism: Making Change."
James R. Halsey Foundation Student Film Showcase to Take Place November 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts (JRH), a 501c3 non-profit agency dedicated to providing quality arts education and mentoring to youth in the City of Trenton and greater New Jersey area presents the 2026 Student Film Showcase. Taking place on November 12th at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium from 5:00pm - 8:00pm, this event features three films, written, directed, and produced by students, as well as a documentary focused on raising awareness on men's mental health, featuring authentic student voices and professional interviews.
Count Basie Center for the Arts to Celebrate Centennial with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts will cap its Centennial Celebration with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 6:00pm. Patrons can expect an immersive theatrical presentation from the moment they approach the venue – from 'stars' of the era arriving in classic cars, Gatsby-esque fashion and flair, an authentic speakeasy experience with custom, era-specific cocktails and mocktails, 1920s hot jazz and more.
Learn about producing films with "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media"
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Interested in filmmaking? You can learn how to produce a film like a pro at "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media" on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Miraley Studios in Jersey City.
The Clairidge hosts Indie Film Showcase on November 21st
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- On Saturday, November 21, 2026, The Clairidge hosts a film showcase featuring three indie films - Wedding Night, Lady in the Mirror, and End of the Line: Brotherhood. Dive into three epic tales, one screen, and endless vibes at The Official Film Showcase. Showtime is 1:30pm.
