May. 16, 2012 - Issue #865: Road Trips
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
After quitting his lackluster job as a bus driver and being unable to afford to take a real crack at a Hollywood career, Boyd (Scott Speedman) raids his wife's makeup drawer to create a disguise intended as the mask for his biggest role. He dusts off his army pistol and begins robbing banks, quickly grabbing the attention of the media, police and garnering a reputation as quite the dashing criminal. His suave, debonaire demeanour has the female bank clerks swooning rather than cowering as Boyd robs them blind.
However, Boyd's luck—and newfound lifestyle for his wife Doreen (Kelly Reilly) and their two children, initially led to believe the money came from an acting job—comes to a screeching halt after the police catch up with him during a robbery. While in prison, he meets three men, including an emotionally and physically damaged war veteran named Lenny (Kevin Durand), who stands out for both his malice and emotion. The guys don't plan on throwing in the towel just yet, and following a daring escape, they form the Boyd Gang, continuing to rob banks, live large and run from the law until internal conflict and careless decisions bring tension to the group, which begins to careen down a path of self-destruction.
Speedman is pitch perfect in the role as he maintains a devil-may-care persona alongside that of a caring and concerned father. He never once strays from being the protagonist, despite his outlaw actions and his desperation and willingness to do whatever he needs to for his family makes his story one to empathize with.
Production is used to the film's advantage as well, setting the story against a drab, dreary colour palette dominated by greys and blues. The somber mood is punctuated with happier times, blended together with a soundtrack that features old school tunes and more modern selections like The Black Keys, which still seems fitting.
There's enough tension and action— without the standard shoot-em-up mentality of a crime film—to make the film a poignant and compelling look at an intriguing figure in our country's history.
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