May 24, 2012 Movies » Movie Reviews

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More by Molly Segal

Citizen Gangster: Character-rich, context-poor 

In which a would-be Canadian actor turns to a life of crime and face-paint

by
click to enlarge Scott "Sigh" Speedman and Kelly "Lucky" Reilly
  • Scott "Sigh" Speedman and Kelly "Lucky" Reilly

  Leave it to us Canadians to make a movie about a badass bank robber, Edwin Boyd (Scott Speedman) and downplay his historical celebrity status. Boyd, a WWII vet dissatisfied with his humble Toronto life tries to get an acting gig, but settles for becoming a criminal (he wears face paint, so that’s kind of acting right?). It takes his wife, Doreen (Kelly Reilly) a while to catch on, but once she does, she and the kids are dragged into Boyd’s mess. It’s hard to keep track of all the characters—with Boyd in and out of prison, cavorting and scheming with fellow criminals, we see awkward snapshots into their world; these scenes are needlessly prolonged, like looking at the uncut version of someone’s vacation photos. It’s an interesting story that needs a more context and less filler.

  • In which a would-be Canadian actor turns to a life of crime and face-paint

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Citizen Gangster
105 min. | Rated NR
Official Site: www.ifcfilms.com/films/citizen-gangster
Director: Nathan Morlando
Writer: Nathan Morlando
Cast: Scott Speedman, Brian Cox, Kevin Durand, Kelly Reilly, Charlotte Sullivan, William Mapother, Joseph Cross, Brendan Fletcher, Melanie Scrofano and Patrick Stevenson

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