Capital Celluloid 2015 - Day 239: Thu Aug 27

The Krays (Medak, 1990): BFI Southbank, NFT1, 9pm


This special screening is part of the London on Film season and includes a Q&A with stars Martin and Gary Kemp, director Peter Medak and scriptwriter Philip Ridley. Full details here.

Time Out review:
Medak's biopic skirts Sweeney-style fair-cop-guv clichés for bolder terrain, in which the macabre beginnings of the identical angels - all chirpy cockney, poor-but-spotless nostalgia - are placed as much within womb, hearth and home as in the streets, clubs and fairground booths through which Ron and Reg came to criminal prominence between Elvis and early Beatles. If Philip Ridley's script charts most of the signposts - school, army, protection, murder - it seems keen to establish the female connection, be it through Reggie's tormented, finally destroyed wife (Kate Hardie, magnificent), or the endless, loyal patience of the kray brood, presided over by mother (Billie Whitelaw) and consumptive but awesome Aunt Rose (Susan Fleetwood). Most surprising is the impressive showing of Gary and Martin Kemp (of Spandau Ballet) as the twins, despite fears that the 'youth cult' dimension might be too strong a factor in the concept; most riveting, a series of cameos including Tom Bell (ultra-seedy as victim Jack McVitie), Stephen Berkoff (OTT as victim George Cornell), Jimmy Jewel as the tall-tale-telling grandad every young thug should have. Little about the Krays' position as social climbing roughnecks, and not in the Badlands league, but a lot better than one dared hope.
Steve Grant

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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