Tom Hardy can be very persuasive. In Taboo, people did what he said because he’d growled something intimidatingly gothic at them; in Locke, they knew he’d only phone back later if they didn’t give in; in the Kray brothers biopic Legend, there were two Tom Hardys and they were both holding claw hammers. Whenever he’s the celebrity reader on CBeebies Bedtime Stories, meanwhile, half of the adults watching wouldn’t need any persuading.
The idea that a Tom Hardy character cajoling, threatening or influencing someone is an art form in itself is the core of MobLand, a decent new gangster epic that casts Hardy as top fixer Harry Da Souza. Harry works for the Harrigans, the Irish clan who dominate the London drugs and guns scene, but who are prone to excess and perhaps not as savvy as they once were. Their charming, clinical lieutenant Harry cleans up their messes.
