Arts & Entertainment

Canadian Film 'Edwin Boyd' Strikes Chord With Economic Times

Producer Allison Black and Director Nathan Morlando bring the larger-than-life story of the WWII-era bank robber to life by showing Boyd's struggle between his theatrical bank robberies and his commitment to his young family.

As an unemployed, struggling family man having financial troubles, Edwin Boyd turned to robbing banks to feed his family and his own sense of adventure and theatricality.

The story of the real-life, WWII-era bank robber fits the current economic climate in America, which may be why the Canadian adaptation of Boyd's life received rave reviews at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Both screenings were sold out.

"I think it will speak to everyone around the world because of the financial struggle so any people are going through right now," the film's co-writer and director Nathan Morlando told Patch. "People are really upset with the banks right now, more so than in Canada. I think he is providing that kind of outlet for those feelings."

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The film won Best Canadian First Feature Film at the Toronto Film Festival, and it is already being touted as among the top 10 Canadian films of 2012.

Boyd, a World War II veteran, returned to Canada and turned to robbing banks in a Hollywood style over a three-year period. The movie shows the struggle between his dream of becoming a movie star and the commitment to providing for his family.

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The real Edwin Boyd died in 2002 in Victoria, British Columbia, where he remarried and lived under a different identity.

Morlando developed a relationship with Boyd before his death, and even met him in person.

“He could still turn on the charm. He never dropped his entertainment aspect or his aspirations to be an actor and a performer. It was easy for him to turn that on. When he would pause and just sit there, you can see when he is reflecting back. He couldn’t help but feel the loss that he experienced,” Morlando said.

The filmmaker also met Boyd's wife, Dorren (played in the film by Kelly Reilly), who helped him realize the film was more than a Canada folklore. It was a tragic love story.

"She cried when she told me this … she’s never loved anybody as much as she loved him ... she couldn’t be with him because ... he was addicted to the feeling he got when robbing banks," Morlando said.

Morlando, along with his partner and the film's producer Allison Black, call the desert a second home.

"It’s really great to be back in the desert. We love Palm Springs," Black said, adding that they divide their time between Toronto and a second home in Los Angeles.

The warmth of Southern California contrasts with the cold winter shots of the movie. The film was shot in Sault Ste Marie, Canada.

"The city itself looked like a 1950s city. It has kept its integrity," Black said.

The couple are already working on their next project "The Lions Share," and they are "deep in the casting process," she said.


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