Complete and utter bollocks. With the life I've led, I'm ashamed to admit that at one point I actually idolised people like this, so read a lot about them. What I found from research was that the gangster illusion is a little like the cowboy one. There was no honour amongst thieves, no shootouts at dawn. People generally got shot in the back, sneaky-like. The same was true of the Krays.


In this Hollywood fuckered up version of the Krays we find two hard men who are so 'ard they can take out a pub full of tooled-up gangsters all on their own. Also, whilst delivering a Hollywood-esque bullshit fucking speech.

I won't say in public what my research has taught me about the Krays, suffice to say that this film is complete and utter bollocks. The Frances character was portrayed nothing like the original. The complete opposite in fact. Also Jack the Hat was made out to be a complete wanker when that wasn't true. And then, after building him as being a dithering, shaking idiot for three scenes he suddenly turns into somebody with balls when a gun is pointed at his head. So bad it was funny. His trouble was that he wasn't scared of the Krays and he wasn't afraid to tell everyone.

Reggie is made out to be completely sane throughout the film and then suddenly switches to being a knife maniac at the end. Complete and utter bollocks.

Did I say complete and utter bollocks? So, if you fancy any of that, check this film out, you won't be disappointed.

Was interested in this when it came out. Never got around to it. Then it got mixed reviews and it sounded like something I mightn't be interested in.

I will say, I have very limited knowledge of the twins or what they got up to. Not the best flick to enlighten me?

Definitely not mate. I can't even recommend the indie version that's out too. I think it's called Rise of the Krays. I saw that not too long ago and wasn't impressed.

I have no idea why anyone is so bothered about the Krays anyway. The Richardsons were far more like the gangsters we see on TV... but even they have had their fair share of bullshit spread about them.

I quite enjoyed it, but I had no absolutely no expectations of it been true to life, at all...

So as an entertaining but unrealistic London gangster flick I liked it, and thought that Hardy's was excellent playing both twins.

IMHO of course

Anthony

For me it was like listening to an X Factor reject destroy a classic song.

Real people are affected by history. The least producers can do (after stealing the story) is get it right.

In regard Hardy's performance... he did the best he could with a farcical script.

The only good thing about the movie is Tom Hardy. Best actor today

Quoted from DustinBowcot I won't say in public what my research has taught me about the Krays, suffice to say that this film is complete and utter bollocks. The Frances character was portrayed nothing like the original. The complete opposite in fact. Also Jack the Hat was made out to be a complete wanker when that wasn't true. And then, after building him as being a dithering, shaking idiot for three scenes he suddenly turns into somebody with balls when a gun is pointed at his head. So bad it was funny. His trouble was that he wasn't scared of the Krays and he wasn't afraid to tell everyone.

I never understood why they have to change so many things in these "true story" films, when the reality is more interesting in most cases.

One of my favorite depictions is in Goodfellas. Joe Pesci is 5'4'' and almost 50 years old in the movie, yet the character he plays in real life was 6'2'' 230 pounds and died in his 20s. Talk about an accurate representation.

The real story with these guys would be earth shattering for many people, I'd imagine. They mixed with some very high up people, both in government and the entertainment business. Putting two and two together with their penchant for young boys and it doesn't take a genius to figure out how they got to appear on TV and it took so long for the police to arrest them.

I kind of recall a film fromr 1990 about The Krasy. It tarred, the Kemp brothers from the 80s pop band Spandu Ballet.

That's the only thing that cames to mind for me; I had no intrest in the new telling, even if it is Tom Hardy playing both brothers this time around.

I watched this film because of Tom Hardy tbh, and him playing both Ron and Reggie was the main draw of this film.  It's quite different from The Krays, but I didn't hate it as much as you did, Dustin.  Reggie might've been depicted as level-headed throughout the entire film, but the stabbing occurred because he lost his shit in the heat of the moment - that was the point.  I'm pretty sane, but if my mother died and somebody made fun of that fact soon thereafter, I would probably lose my shit.

This film is flawed, and I can understand why somebody would think that it's complete and utter bollocks, but I didn't think that particular scene was a problem in the scope of the movie.  Jack tested Reggie's patience several times in the movie, and Jack's comments about Frances was the straw that broke the camel's back.  It might've not been faithful to real-life events, but within the context of the story that was being told, it made perfect sense to me as to why Reggie would stab this guy to a pulp.  Remember, Reggie lost his temper when Ron made comments about Frances as well, and that led to a big ass brawl in the middle of the club.

Also, was Jack drinking at that party?  I can't remember.  That might go some way towards explaining why he grew a set of balls in the moment.

Max, try watching some of the real life documentaries on the Krays. Listen to their own words and those of real witnesses. Reggie was extremely volatile and a bi-sexual. The film was based more around fantasy than any real (presented as) facts. It was the Hollywood ideal of what they were like, rather than a gritty, edgy true life tale, they went a route they just shouldn't have in this day and age.

Quoted from DustinBowcot Max, try watching some of the real life documentaries on the Krays. Listen to their own words and those of real witnesses. Reggie was extremely volatile and a bi-sexual. The film was based more around fantasy than any real (presented as) facts. It was the Hollywood ideal of what they were like, rather than a gritty, edgy true life tale, they went a route they just shouldn't have in this day and age.

Well, I listened to Kermode's review of the film beforehand, so I understood that the film was going to be presented in a certain way prior to viewing it.  I don't think it's supposed an exact historical representation of the twins, but rather an embellishment of their story.

I will watch some real life docs tho because the pair do interest me.

Did you enjoy any scenes in the movie?

Quoted from Max Did you enjoy any scenes in the movie?

Not really, mate. Too fanciful for my tastes.

What about Wee Man?  Do you like that film?

Quoted from Max What about Wee Man?  Do you like that film?

Yeah, that was all right... but I prefer Wild Bill.

Quoted from DustinBowcot Yeah, that was all right... but I prefer Wild Bill.

I'll have to pick that one up.

I've never watched Bronson either.  It's supposed to be a good film, and it stars Tom Hardy.