Dangerous Rumors (2023)
Crime, Thriller
Directed by Craig Lobo
Starring Lindsay Smith, Ry Barrett, Michael Maloley, Lindura, Timothy Paul McCarthy, Robert Nolan, Luke Robinson

I’ve known director Craig Lobo for about 15 years after discovering that we both have a passion for movies. I recently received an invitation from him to attend the Canadian premiere of Dangerous Rumors. I hadn’t been to a cinema since Covid started, but I did not want to miss the chance to see my friend’s movie make its Canadian debut. I talked with Craig for a few minutes before the screening and mentioned that I would be happy to review it, and here’s that review. 

The Fox Theatre is an intimate setting in which to view a movie. The audience included a number of the cast and crew, and most had not seen the final version of the movie. I was excited to see what Craig had created. As well as directing, he also wrote the screenplay for this Panic Button Films release.

The opening scene is probably my favorite of the whole movie. It’s shot at night and involves a tense conversation between a man and a woman in a car. At this point, we know nothing about any of the characters, so this introduction makes us wonder who these people are and what they are doing. The first thing I noticed was the way the dialogue was structured. I felt that the conversation was done well with the characters having time to show who they were. This was consistent throughout the movie with lots of time allowed for meaningful conversations. Malcolm (Luke Robinson) delivered his dialogue effectively and was giving me Samuel L. Jackson vibes. Christine (Lindsay Smith) was present because her boss told her to pick Malcolm up and deliver him to an address, but there are hints that there is more to her than we first imagine. The score was very effective in this scene and added to the mood.

The movie synopsis mentions mob boss Jimmy Marconi (Michael Maloley) and is set in the late 1990s. While it’s clear that Jimmy is the overall motivating force for the story, I feel that Christine drove most of the events that we see unfold on the screen. Lindsay Smith does a great job with the character, making her seem strong and confident in her own abilities. She delivers a lot of her lines in an offhand way that often distracts the people that she is interacting with, but we know more about who she really is deep down inside. One of the best scenes in the movie involves an interaction between Jimmy and Chief Wilson (Timothy Paul McCarthy). I would have liked more scenes with Chief Wilson. It’s difficult to talk about the plot without revealing spoilers, so I'll keep things general for the most part.

There is quite a bit of violence in the movie, although the worst of that seems to happen off screen with the sounds of what might be happening shaping our thoughts about Jimmy and others. One scene threatened to enter horror territory, but it was done with dark humor. The character involved ended up as a key player and the scene establishes that he isn’t completely in touch with reality and might be capable of irrational acts.

As we have learned from countless stories, if you steal from a crime lord, there will be consequences. The movie has elements of something such as No Country for Old Men, with multiple characters chasing missing money. Are they doing it for their employer or for their personal gain? Don’t get too attached to any of the characters because this is a world in which nobody is safe and anyone could have hidden motives. There are a few twists and turns, and one earned gasps from the audience as the majority did not see it coming. I’m always happy to be surprised by a plot twist as I am not fond of predicting the ending after 10 minutes of the movie. There are no such problems here.

One thing that was handled particularly well was the relationships between the characters. Christine has strong ties to Jimmy and Ray (Robert Nolan). I also liked the development of Kate’s character (Lindura), and the chemistry she had with her son Jacob (Taytum Douglas). Some of the relationships end up causing conflict and help shape the final act of the movie.

Like the opening chapter, the final chapter in the story was also shot in the dark. The Q&A revealed that this was one of the biggest challenges of the movie. It was shot at night over the course of about a week, with filming beginning at sunset and going through the night. The result is an effective climax to the story, and the motivations of the main characters all make sense in the end. The story was all shot in Ontario, with Toronto and the Durham region featuring strongly.

I see some references to Quentin Tarantino. This film is split into chapters and features a strong female lead, not unlike Kill Bill. The tension in the stretched out dialogue also reminds me of Tarantino, and there is even a shot from inside the open trunk of a car and a phrase that I remember from a Samuel L. Jackson character. That said, this is not a Tarantino pastiche, but it does have these few things in common.

The casting is generally excellent, and the performances don't disappoint. I had the opportunity to briefly talk with some of the cast and Michael Maloley was still in character! I’m interested to see a lot of the cast members in other roles. Incidentally, you’ll enjoy this movie more if you are a fan of classic cars as they appear often.

If I were to name one thing that would have made the movie even better from my perspective, it would be to delve deeper into the backstories of the main characters. Going back to Kill Bill for a moment, we root for the Bride because we know how she has been treated. It feels like justice when she has the showdown with Bill. In Dangerous Rumors, I feel like we could have been even more invested in Christine if we knew more about her motivations. Joe’s motivations were also left as a bit of a mystery, but he is an important part of the story and helps shape Christine’s actions. This may just be personal preference, but I’m the type of guy who prefers Daniel Craig’s Bond because we know why he does everything.

In summary, I had a great experience at my friend’s Canadian movie premiere and it will be a special memory. I feel proud that he has turned a passion into a career. So many people end up in a job that they can do, rather than something they love to do. It makes me happy to see someone achieve their dream. I’m looking forward to the next Craig Lobo release, which I am reliably informed is in the works. Here I am with the cast and crew.

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