Directed by: Nathan Morlando.
Written by: Nathan Morlando.
Starring: Scott Speedman (Edwin Boyd), Kelly Reilly (Doreen Boyd), Kevin Durand (Lenny Jackson), Joseph Cross (Val Kozak), Brendan Fletcher (Willie 'The Clown' Jackson), Charlotte Sullivan (Mary Mitchell), Melanie Scrofano (Ann Roberts), Brian Cox (Glover), William Mapother (Detective David Rhys).
The opening title card of
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster informs us that in war, there is no such thing as
an unwounded soldier. The only problem with this statement is that it becomes
the only real insight we are given into the title character. Edwin Boyd returns
from WWII, to his wife Doreen (Kelly Reilly) and their two kids, and a job as a
bus driver. He has a flair for the dramatic, and thinks that maybe he could be
an actor instead of a bus driver – but that dream quickly goes up in smoke. So
what does Edwin Boyd decide to do? Rob banks. Even after he is arrested the
first time, Doreen sticks by him – when he escapes from prison with a new gang
that will help him do bigger jobs, Doreen is there beside him. But Boyd cannot
ever really leave that flair for the dramatic behind him – he draws too much
attention to himself and his gang. He becomes a folk hero of sorts – Canada’s
answer to Bonnie and Clyde perhaps.
The film has a nice visual
look – set in Toronto in what seems like a perennial winter, and
writer/director Nathan Morlando does a good job capturing what a long, dreary
slog a Canadian winter can be. The colors lack vibrancy, which is appropriate
for the movie, and the period detail is pretty much spot on.
It also must be said that
Scott Speedman is very good as Edwin Boyd. Speedman is charming, funny, easy
going and likable. You can understand why his wife stood by him, his gang stood
by him, the media was enamored with him, and even some of the people he robs
find him charming. The problem with the character is the lack of depth that
Morlando gives him – other than that opening quote, you never really get the
feeling that Boyd is doing this because he is haunted by the war. There are a
few moments – like helping a handicapped vet get on the bus – that hint at
that, but it is never explored in any real way – that’s not Speedman’s fault,
but the screenplays. The other characters also lack definition, but are
performed well enough by the solid stable of actors. Kelly Reilly has the plum
role of Boyd’s long suffering wife who has to decide whether or not to stick
with Boyd through thick and thin. The rest of the cast is fine, but aren’t
really given all that much to work with.
The story of Edwin Boyd, which has pretty much been forgotten by most Canadians, could and should make a great movie. And yet, while Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster has a charismatic lead and a fine visual look, and is never really boring, it just never truly involved me either. I could never get a read on who Edwin Boyd really was – and why he makes the decisions he does. There is a great movie in this story – unfortunately, this isn’t it.
No comments:
Post a Comment