"The Cultured Criminal" is a character driven, historical reenactment of a rather sensational murder mystery, based on the real life trial of con man Reginald Birchall. Birchall had a great con going in Canada, swindling British aristocrats - leaving a big WHY? The film itself is truly a venture in minimalism. The great appeal, for me, is, that like a book, you need your imagination to fill in the scenery and the blanks. The upside is, unlike a book, you see the characters faces and expressions. Also, like a book, the majority of the film is starkly black and white. If your looking for a sensational murder mystery with special effects, flashbacks and all the other gimmicks of popular films, you won't find them here. I'm shy of the term 'art house' films, so I will just leave this as a good murder mystery worth the time to watch, and enjoyed as much for the educational value as the historical.