“Existential, romantic-comedic prank with the aim of a funny, relaxed tone”

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

Henry's Crime Plot Summary: Unique blend of romance and crime

Malcolm Venville's Henry's Crime tells the story of a lost man who ends up in prison for a bank he had no business robbing. After his release, a budding romance thwarts his plans to actually rob the bank. James Caan and Vera Farmiga, who starred alongside him, enriched the film's distinctive genre mix with their performances.

At the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, Reeves spoke about his role in the production in an interview with Collider. The actor helped write the script, so he was involved in the project from the beginning. Despite its fun, easygoing tone and exploration of deep questions of identity and meaning, Henry's Crime According to Reeves, it was an existential romantic comedy.

Challenges of Indie Filmmaking

Bring along Henry's Crime to the screen was no picnic. Even though Reeves is an A-list actor, the film still faced the usual problems of independent filmmaking, such as finding a distributor. Without home delivery, the new ecosystem would be completely dysfunctional. Reeves explained this in a 2010 interview. He noted that even well-known actors were looking for ways to produce their films outside of studio structures, underscoring the shift that was taking place in Hollywood at the time.

Looking back on the casting process, Reeves couldn't help but compliment his co-stars, especially James Caan. That he responded to the material while Vera Farmiga adored the script was a stroke of luck. In his opinion, the actors were fantastic and he thought they had fun playing the roles.

The legacy of Henry's crimes in Keanu Reeves' career

The endurance and adaptability of Reeves' performance in Henry's Crime are still fully watchable after all this time. While it didn't receive the same critical acclaim as his previous films, it is still a treasured production that saw Reeves take personal storytelling and artistic risks.