EDWIN BOYD: CITIZEN GANGSTER written and directed by Nathan Morlando, with Scott Speedman, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Durand and Brian Cox. An eOne release. 105 minutes. Opens Friday (May 11). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster gives the notorious Canuck criminal a film worthy of his legacy. Scott Speedman delivers an appropriately charismatic performance as the impoverished family man whose skill at robbing banks made him both a beloved national celebrity and public enemy number one. Nice guy too bad these sorts of stories don’t have happy endings.
Nathan Morlando’s stylish directorial debut, winner of TIFF’s best Canadian first feature, is a giddy rush of entertainment with melancholic undertones, shot with an evocative newsreel aesthetic. The black-and-white rear projection used in driving scenes works well.
The film captures the innocent spirit behind Boyd’s crime spree without shying away from the damage his exploits inflicted on his family. Canadian movies are rarely this slick and entertaining. Come to think of it, period crime movies rarely play so well.
