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The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne

THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE (Matthew Pond, Kirk Marco lina). 73 minutes. Opens Friday (June 20) at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. For times, see listings. Rating: NNNN


Doris Payne exudes the charms of a sly and sophisticated grifter with her kind, grandmotherly visage. At age 81 and on the verge of a potential final reckoning for her 40-plus-year career as a globe-trotting master jewel thief, she might be one of the most unsung criminal folk heroes of our time.

Documentarians Matthew Pond and Kirk Marcolina follow Payne as she stares down another arrest for a crime she insists she didn’t commit. Pond and Marcolina remind us she’s still a wily master of manipulation and sleight of hand, but they also imbue the film with a great deal of historical detail and a wealth of humanity.

Payne’s good side shows through when she talks about her family and friends and her experiences as an African-American woman at the top of her game during one of the country’s most turbulent times racially. Say what you will about her methods, she certainly carved her own path in life when few people would give her a chance.

She’s controversial, candid, humorous and inspirational all at once, and the film’s conclusion brings it all together with a great sting.

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