Lendas do Crime

O único filme em que se vê Tom Hardy a esbofetear com uma prancha o rabo nu dum jovem numa festa gay. A «Gayidade» dum dos irmãos é também o engenheiro da cena mais divertida do filme (o seu primeiro encontro com o mafioso Chazz Palminteri de Las Vegas). Um filme divertido de gângsteres, mais baseado no exibicionismo fixe do duplo-ator principal do que sobre o arco dramático do enredo. É a relação entre os irmãos e a sua alteridade que Hardy lida tão bem que conduz o filme. Também apreciei a representação do submundo retro de Londres através da ótica de filmes de gângster americanos (Scorsese). A segunda metade do filme poderia ter sido mais acelerada, mas continuo a dar-lhe uma quarta estrela. Para a diversão da dupla criação de Hardy, que simplesmente gostei de explorar mais do que esperava. (06/10/2015)

Tom Hardy felt like a dual role and a dual role he got. And truth be told, he did a more-or-less good job portraying the two brothers, who are both criminals and who are each a little different. It’s a pity that the movie only starts getting really interesting once their entire empire begins to crumble apart. At that point, Legend capitalized on the entire story, which was otherwise not that interesting, and the movie prepared a rather tragic unravelling of the plot. And that was good. Mainly because the story was written by life itself. I actually felt really sad at the end of the movie about the human tragedy. (03/10/2016)

Those of you who don’t like Hardy must take off two stars, because it is the acting performances that pull this rather standard gangster movie to new heights. Legend is too long for the little that happens in the movie. Either they should have shortened it, or draw out the Cray Bros. Odyssey into a miniseries. Not at all a bad movie, but it had much more potential. Amongst the competition - Peaky Blinders on TV - at the theater any Scorsese is the second from the back. Hardy’s Reggie and Ronnie are the pack-horses of this movie and worth every penny. The more I think about it, the character Emily Browning character perhaps unnecessarily slowed things down and bringing in a human touch. Helgeland is still good at his job, but can do better. (19/10/2015)

Brian Helgeland should stick to writing scripts, because when he's behind the camera, his films have no drive and the result is bland. And that is doubly unfortunate for a retro gangster movie like this, as the form is OK, there aren’t life wisdom and truths, and there’s even less Chazz Palminteri, and the film's plot structure is just there because it has to be. Otherwise, it's Tom Hardy's one-man-show, and a very brilliant one at that. If I wanted to watch an appetiser and a main course in one night, I'd go with Legend and maybe Goodfellas. (17/10/2015)

Organized crime in the USA had its golden years during the Prohibition era, while British organized crime had its most famous period in the 1950s and 1960s when London temporarily became the center of the world. The center of attention for tabloids and the public became the unmistakable Kray twins, who not only filled the pages dedicated to criminal offenses but also influenced fashion and socialized with showbiz stars. This is already the second film attempting to portray their life stories, and it must be said that Brian Helgeland managed to extract more than his predecessors. However, there is a problem from the audience's perspective - the film somewhat misleads them. The beginning follows a Tarantino-like style, and after the twins massacre a rival gang in an emotional collaboration, it seems like it will be a bloody and suspenseful ride. However, the film subsequently turns into a psychological drama, where one of the brothers' partners comes to terms with the knowledge that she has aligned her life with a sociopath, whose twin is a pure psychopath. It basically addresses the issue of Mrs. Schroeder from Atlantic City Mafia, who gets involved in a love affair with mafia boss Thompson and becomes entangled in the center of organized crime, fighting an endless battle between her conscience and her value system against the environment that surrounded her. The film is shot beautifully as a retro from the 1960s, showing that British cinematography is very capable. Many genre fans might sigh at the fact that the storyline following the Krays' growth, their domination of new neighborhoods, and the cleansing of the city from competition would be much more appealing to the audience. Overall impression: 80%. Tom Hardy lived up to expectations with his dual role. It may not be a big hit and will not rank high in the genre, but it has its good qualities. (05/01/2016)