Keanu Reeves on Henry's Crime: 'Existential, romantic-comedy caper, aimed for a fun, breezy tone'

Looking back on Keanu Reeves' impressive career, one of his lesser-known but personally significant films is Henry's Crime (2010). The film, which premiered at that year's TIFF, showed Reeves in a new light, away from his typical role in blockbusters and into the independent film industry. On August 30, 2024, Lionsgate Play (OTTplay Premium) in India will premiere the film.

Henry's Crime plot overview: Unique blend of romance and crime

Malcolm Venville's Henry's Crime narrates the story of a lost man who finds himself imprisoned for a bank he had no responsibility for. After his release, a blossoming romance thwarts his efforts to actually loot the bank. James Caan and Vera Farmiga, who co-starred with him, enriched the film's distinctive fusion of genres with their performances.

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At the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, Reeves discussed his role in the production in an interview with Collider. The actor helped write the screenplay. So, he has been involved with the project since its inception. Despite its fun, breezy tone and exploration of profound questions of self-identity and meaning, Henry's Crime was, according to Reeves, an existential romantic comedy caper.

Challenges of indie filmmaking

Bringing Henry's Crime to the screen was no picnic. Although Reeves is an A-list actor, the film nevertheless had to deal with the usual problems of indie filmmaking, like finding a distributor. Without home delivery, the new ecosystem would be completely dysfunctional. Reeves stated this in an interview from 2010. Noting that even well-known performers were looking for ways to get their films created outside of the studio structure, he underlined the change happening in Hollywood at the time.

Looking back on the casting process, Reeves couldn't help but compliment his co-stars, particularly James Caan. Having him react to the material while Vera Farmiga adored the screenplay was a stroke of luck. According to him, the actors were fantastic, and he thought they had fun playing the parts.

Legacy of Henry's Crime in Keanu Reeves' career

The endurance and adaptability of Reeves' performance in Henry's Crime are still on full display even after all this time has passed. Although it did not receive the same amount of critical praise as his previous features, it is nevertheless a treasured production in which Reeves embraced personal storytelling and artistic risks.

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