The Krays

Growing up in the East End, twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray move from the boxing gym to nightclub ownership to the most famous British criminal firm of the sixties. Their mother Violet blesses them both, believes they have never hurt anyone, and goes on believing it. The film is about the house, not the gang. Its crime scenes are short and sudden, while the long scenes happen in kitchens, at tea tables, in rooms where the women talk. Violence is presented not as men's work but as something women raised, and that angle separates the film from ordinary gangster biography. Peter Medak directed. The brothers are played by Gary and Martin Kemp, brothers in real life though not twins, both members of Spandau Ballet at the time. Billie Whitelaw plays Violet and carries the film's centre of gravity. Shooting took place in the autumn of 1989 and the film opened in 1990. Ronnie's homosexuality is not hidden but told together with his place in the firm. Who it is for: viewers who want British crime cinema and a family portrait. Who it is not for: anyone expecting action. The pace is slow, the bloody scenes are rare but unexpectedly harsh, and the telling sometimes stands too close to the twins' own legend.