Pubdate: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Katherine Monk MOVIE REVIEW: CITIZEN MARC EXAMINES THE 'PRINCE OF POT' MARC EMERY Citizen Marc Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 Starring: Marc Emery Directed by: Roger Evan Larry and Sandra Tomc Running time: 92 minutes 'Prince of Pot' Emery Perturbs Documentary Makes It Very Easy to Dislike Marijuana Advocate, Who Film Suggests Touted Legalization for Political Gain Marc Emery wants to be seen as a modern-day David slaying the government Goliath. He wants to be seen as the king of the underdogs, the indefatigable force of justice, and a guy who is so honest and straightforward, it's impossible not to like him. But the plain truth of the matter is it's very easy to dislike the so- called Prince of Pot. Arrogant, entitled, entirely self-absorbed and kind of irritating, he exhibits the uglier traits associated with clinical narcissism, but thankfully, Vancouver-based filmmakers Roger Evan Larry and Sandra Tomc address all those dimensions in their new movie, Citizen Marc. A feature-length documentary that opens with Emery's claim to national fame as the de facto spokesman for marijuana legalization, Citizen Marc shows us scenes of Emery standing defiant as he is sentenced to five years in a U. S. prison. He gives every media outlet a little nugget about the importance of personal freedom and civil disobedience. He compares himself to Gandhi and Martin Luther King. He tearfully says goodbye to his friends and family in a flashy blitz of media attention. And just when the hagiography feels complete, the filmmakers take us back in time, before Emery's pot advocacy began to bud, when he was just a political geek in London, Ont., working for Ed Broadbent's NDP. That's right: The pot pioneer revered as a demi-god in Vancouver is not even from British Columbia, which kind of explains a lot, because as this documentary makes abundantly clear, Emery isn't the chill hero who would grow naturally from a grassroots pot movement. He seems to be more of an opportunist who saw pot as the perfect platform to launch his own political career. It's a good toothy edge that makes Citizen Marc an interesting film because it chips away at the concept of personal identity versus the unrelenting demands of a dollar store ego. The more we see Emery try to aggrandize himself as a man with purpose and integrity, the more sleazy and opportunistic he begins to look. One minute the filmmakers show us archival footage of Emery singing Canada's praises, and the very next, we get period footage of Emery angrily stomping south to the United States, where people are free to shop on Sundays. You see, before Emery fired up the boilers on the pot parade, he pushed for other causes under a Libertarian banner, including the "unfair" law that once made Sunday shopping illegal in Ontario. He espoused every right-of-centre cause that favoured greater personal wealth and freedom, but still imagined himself a friend to the little guy. So how did a money-centric wannabe politician end up becoming the Prince of Pot? Easy: He saw green in all that green. The nice thing is Emery admits to just about every glaring flaw for the cameras. He shares his love of money with us in the same breath as his soliloquies about selflessness, which makes Citizen Marc a very honest portrait - and a very confusing one as well. Emery is a man whose ego is in a constant state of renovation, tearing structural walls, slapping on new paint, all to make a good impression on the neighbours. The man may be arrogant, but his insecurities are the elephant in the room. The filmmakers make us feel their presence, but they never point them out, ensuring the great confrontation between ego and reality never happens. Things go by in an entertaining blur without defining moments, leaving one underwhelmed by the subject, but hungrier for truth - and deep- fried snacks - by the final frame. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard