I saw the trailer for this movie a few months back and have been excited about it since, so I thought it would be a good one to start with. You may start watching and notice that it has a kind of Public Enemies style to it. If I could say one really negative thing about this film, it was it's timing. The fact that Public Enemies came so close before it. The fact that no matter how good Scott Speedman is in this movie, he's going to get compared to Johnny Depp's John Dillinger. This is a completely separate role, and I believe that Speedman takes on an equally, if not more challenging role than Depp. He shows inner turmoil so well in this film and I was very impressed. As an actor who is often undervalued, Speedman really shined. Yes, I do believe there were times when he really had a chance to break on to the next level and he often times failed to do so. But he was so good throughout the movie that it still made for a strong performance. What tended to really help him, was the strong acting of his screen wife, played by Kelly Reilly. There is a scene toward the climax of the movie when the couple finally breaks down. The passion and emotion between the two of them in that moment really brought the whole movie up a notch. Kudos to both of them, and to the rest of the cast as well. Definitely a solid job all around.
As good as the acting was, what I think really set this movie apart was the story behind it. now, don't watch halfway through this film and tell me that the story isn't strong. Be patient. It's a good story throughout, and with great dialogue too, but it was still lacking. There was something missing that could take it to the next level. For most of the movie i was really worried that it would never come. But thank the Lord it did. The ending to this movie really took it to another level. Not only were the final scenes filmed brilliantly, but the true story was one that could've never been written. It satisfied you and frustrated you at the same time. It was truly a wonderful and heartbreaking ending to a story that really had you rooting for Boyd. You knew he was a criminal but you also knew his motives and his character was set up
well before the crime, so you were convinced he was a good man.
I loved watching Citizen Gangster, and I love that it was called exactly that. It showed in the title just what kind of man Eddy Boyd. He had to parts to his life; Citizen and Gangster. But, no matter where he was, he always knew which one of those to put first. I don't know if the filmmakers intended on the symbolism hidden in the title, but I truly hope they did. It made the movie that much better.
All in all I thought that Citizen Gangster was a quality movie. It wasn't the best I've ever seen, but it was still one of the better ones I've seen recently. Speedman really took a lot of time and thought into building this character and it show with his performance. The cinematography was beautiful at times, but still left something to be desired. One thing I have yet to mention that stood out in this film was the music. A few scenes used modern day music in a 40's period piece and, normally I'm not a fan. But this music was chosen very carefully and really enhanced the scenes where it was used. So A+ for that choice.
Overall I'd definitely say this was a good movie. Maybe a great movie, even. Could it have been better? Absolutely. But I was impressed with it as a whole, and I would definitely recommend it. It is easily worth the two hours I spent watching it. Please go watch it and comment back and let me know your thoughts!
Citizen Gangster
Directed by: Nathan Morlando
Written by: Nathan Morlando
Starring:
Scott Speedman
Kelly Reilly
Kevin Durand
Joseph Cross
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