Citizen Gangster

Last updated
Citizen Gangster
EdwinBoydCitizenGangster2011Poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Nathan Morlando
Written byNathan Morlando
Produced byDaniel Bekerman
Starring
Cinematography Steve Cosens
Edited by Richard Comeau
Music by Max Richter
Distributed by Entertainment One
Release date
  • 10 September 2011 (2011-09-10)(TIFF)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Citizen Gangster is a 2011 Canadian biographical drama film directed and written by Nathan Morlando. [1] Scott Speedman stars as Canadian gangster and alleged murderer Edwin Alonzo Boyd.

Contents

The film originally premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival under the title Edwin Boyd, but was retitled Citizen Gangster in general release.

Plot

A veteran of World War II, Edwin Boyd (Scott Speedman) is disillusioned and barely getting by as a Toronto bus driver. With his wife Doreen (Kelly Reilly), whom he met in England during the war, and two young children to support, he finds it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Adding to his dissatisfaction, Boyd has deep, unfulfilled dreams of making it as a star in Hollywood, a desire frowned upon by his retired policeman father (Brian Cox). [2]

In a moment of desperation, Boyd grabs an old pistol, disguises his face with theatrical greasepaint, and goes out to rob a bank; this sets off a series of events leading to one of Canada’s most infamous crime sprees.

Boyd forms a gang, known as the 'Boyd Gang', which includes Lenny Jackson (Kevin Durand), Ann Roberts (Melanie Scrofano), and Val Kozak (Joseph Cross). Jackson is also a veteran of WWII, and with his muscular build is the picture of the hardened criminal. There is an uneasy relationship between him and Boyd, given the attention lavished on the latter by the media; yet the two of them, both war vets, have a deep, unspoken brotherly bond. Val Kozak (Joseph Cross) is in a similar bind as Boyd, with a young wife and a desperate need to support his family. But he is also carrying on an affair with Mary Mitchell (Charlotte Sullivan), a fur-coat-wearing, flashy blonde party girl, whose flamboyant facade reveals a woman with past hurts and a deep-seated need for love and attention. [2]

The foil to the gang’s mayhem is Detective Rhys, (William Mapother). A sombre family man who takes his work seriously, Rhys is the face of law enforcement in the movie, constantly on the gang’s trail. [2]

Boyd's marriage grows increasingly strained. Despite the fact that Boyd’s initial motivation was a bid to provide for his young family and prove himself as a man, the nature of his lifestyle proves too much for her to handle. [2]

Cast

Production

Filming began February 17, 2011 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. [3]

Release

Citizen Gangster premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. [4] IFC Films distributed it in the United States. [5]

Reception

As of June 2020, the film holds a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, based on 15 reviews with an average rating of 5.5 out of 10. [6] Metacritic rated it 56/100 based on 9 reviews. [7] Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star rated it 3/4 stars called it a "carefully crafted, sympathetic examination of Canada's most notorious bank robber". [8] Joe Leydon of Variety called it "generally low-key but sporadically exciting". [9] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times wrote, "Citizen Gangster is a good-looking but passionless affair that remains stubbornly aloof from its audience." [10] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times called it a stylish but overly familiar film whose main draw is Speedman's performance. [11]

The film won the award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. [12]

The film garnered three Genie Award nominations at the 2012 Genie Awards: Best Actor (Speedman), Best Supporting Actor (Durand) and Best Supporting Actress (Sullivan). [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Speedman</span> British-Canadian film and television actor

Robert Scott Speedman is a British-Canadian actor. He is best known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series Felicity, Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–action Underworld films, and Barry "Baz" Blackwell in the TNT crime drama series Animal Kingdom. His other film work includes Duets, Dark Blue, XXX: State of the Union, The Strangers, Barney's Version, The Vow, and Crimes of the Future. In 2021, he returned to Grey's Anatomy as a main character following a guest role in season 14 as Dr. Nick Marsh.

The Boyd Gang was a notorious criminal gang based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named for member Edwin Alonzo Boyd. The gang was a favourite of the media at the time because of their sensational actions, which included bank robberies, jail breaks, relationships with beautiful women, gun fights, manhunts, and daring captures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Durand</span> Canadian actor (b. 1974)

Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor. He is best known for portraying Vasiliy Fet in The Strain, Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes / The Blob in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Barry Burton in Resident Evil: Retribution, Gabriel in Legion, Little John in Robin Hood, Jeeves Tremor in Smokin' Aces, and Carlos in The Butterfly Effect. He received a 2012 Best Supporting Actor Genie nomination for his portrayal of Lenny Jackson in Citizen Gangster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin Alonzo Boyd</span> 20th-century Canadian bank robber and leader of the Boyd Gang

Edwin Alonzo Boyd was a Canadian bank robber and leader of the Boyd Gang. His career made him a notorious Canadian folk hero.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Motion Picture to the best Canadian film of the year.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role to the best performance by a lead actor in a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1968 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1969, when no eligible feature films were submitted for award consideration, and 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role to the best performance by a lead actress in a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1968 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1969, when no eligible feature films were submitted for award consideration, and 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role to the best performance by a supporting actor in a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1970 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role to the best performance by a supporting actress in a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1970 by the Canadian Film Awards, and was presented annually until 1978 with the exception of 1974 due to the cancellation of the awards that year.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Direction to the best work by a director of a Canadian film.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Cinematography, to honour the best Canadian film cinematography.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Costume Design is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian costume designer. It was formerly called the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Costume Design before the Genies were merged into the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best sound editor on a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1970 as part of the Canadian Film Awards, before being transitioned to the new Genie Awards in 1980; since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Music: Original Song to the best original song in a Canadian motion picture.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian animated short film. Formerly part of the Genie Awards, since 2012 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Short Drama is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian live action short film. Formerly part of the Genie Awards, since 2012 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon Bostick</span> Canadian actor

Devon Bostick is a Canadian actor. He played Rodrick Heffley in the first three Diary of a Wimpy Kid films, starred in the Atom Egoyan-directed film Adoration (2008) and portrayed Jasper Jordan on the dystopian science fiction television series The 100 from 2014 to 2017.

Nathan Morlando is a Canadian screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his feature film debut Citizen Gangster, which won the Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>Edwin Alonzo Boyd</i> (book)

Edwin Alonzo Boyd: The Story of the Notorious Boyd Gang is a non-fiction book written by Brian Vallée. It was published in 1997 by Doubleday Canada. This work revolves around the life of notorious Canadian bank robber Edwin Alonzo Boyd and his role in the Boyd Gang. Vallée worked closed with Boyd in the writing of this book and spent considerable time interviewing Boyd about his memories of his criminal career.

Steve Cosens is a Canadian cinematographer. He is most noted as a two-time Genie Award nominee for Best Cinematography, receiving nominations at the 27th Genie Awards in 2007 for Snow Cake and at the 30th Genie Awards in 2010 for Nurse.Fighter.Boy, and a winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Photography in a Drama Series at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018 for Cardinal.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 85. ISBN   978-1908215017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 May 4, 2012 (May 4, 2012). "TRUE STORY OF CANADIAN GENTLEMAN-ROBBER BROUGHT TO LIFE IN "EDWIN BOYD: CITIZEN GANGSTER"" . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (February 2, 2011). "Scott Speedman to Star in True-Crime Feature 'Edwin Boyd' (Berlin)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ Punter, Jennie (August 9, 2011). "Toronto fest unveils 26 Canadian pix". Variety . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ McNary, Dave (October 27, 2011). "IFC Films nabs 'Edwin Boyd'". Variety . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Citizen Gangster (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Citizen Gangster". Metacritic . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ Barnard, Linda (May 10, 2012). "Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster: Scott Speedman plays notorious Canadian bank robber". Toronto Star . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ Leydon, Joe (October 3, 2011). "Review: 'Edwin Boyd'". Variety . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (April 26, 2012). "Trailing Toronto's War Veteran Turned Bank Robber". The New York Times . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ Goldstein, Gary (May 4, 2012). "Review: Scott Speedman propels a stylish 'Citizen Gangster'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  12. ↑ "The people choose a surprise: Small Lebanese film triumphs over rivals with higher profiles". Toronto Star , September 19, 2011.
  13. ↑ Barnard, Linda (January 17, 2012). "'Café de Flore', 'A Dangerous Method' lead Genie Awards race". Toronto Star . Retrieved April 7, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.