Small Town Murder Songs (2010) Reviews

• Disjointed, uneven

  thrak612011-07-26

  To be fair, the director set himself up with a task that was going to undermine him. This is the story of a severely bottled-up individual who has a history of rage and violence, who has separated himself from larger society both because he can't trust himself and they know they can't trust him either. But to play such a character means going inward so much that it doesn't give the viewer a whole lot to look at. There are long stretches of this short movie where we see the protagonist simply frozen with his own torment. The standout performance here is by Jill Hennessey, who conveys such resentment and antipathy toward the protagonist that it practically jumps off the screen. Every frame she's in the movie becomes compelling. If there had been more done with the back story between these two it might have made for a more interesting story. Regarding the music - this kind of new-gospel is not to my taste, but even if it were, the fact that it's amped-up so loud compared to the rest of the film, where the characters barely speak above a whisper, is completely off-putting. What is supposed to add emotional and spiritual impact ends up just sounding bombastic. I felt aurally mugged.

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• Quiet emotional thriller. Too bad the music wasn't quiet.

  rooprect2013-01-31

  The movie itself is a haunting, powerful experience, much like the excellent Gothic thriller "Septien" and the short film "The Abattoir". These films are set in provincial towns, seemingly cut off from the world, and that adds to the suspense and mystery. But check the discussion boards, I'm not the only one who thought the overbearing music killed the mood. The music itself was appropriate (jarring religious hymns), but they were just so loud and harsh that they distracted from the poetry of what was on screen. My advice to you would be to turn the volume down as much as possible while still being able to understand the dialogue. If you have it up too loud, I guarantee your neighbors will start pounding on the floor thinking you're starting a weird psycho cult and sacrificing first born children or something twisted like that. Back to the movie, like I said above, it's suspenseful and mysterious. There's not a lot of action. In fact, basically there's no action at all. Instead you get a thick disturbing atmosphere, occasional dramatic flashbacks and unyielding tension building up. Very effective. The DVD cover compares it to the Coen Brothers. I can definitely see some similarities with their serious side ("A Serious Man", "The Man Who Wasn't There"). It also reminded me of the 2005 film "Capote". If you like slow, heavy thrillers with interesting characters but not much action, give it a shot. Just beware of the loud soundtrack.

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• Crime Drama -Character Driven

  ntjk72232011-07-01

  I read the review posted that bashes this movie that review could not be more wrong. I just watched this movie and could not be more impressed. This movie is very different from standard police fare, it is concerned with the characters in the story not just the crime drama. If you hate what Michael Bay (Transformers director) movies, this is the movie for you. Characters should matter in a movie not special effects. Canada, you should be very proud of this movie. Hollywood take note. Your movies may make more money but they're not better.

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• You have to watch it the "right" way...

  dancinhomer22011-09-23

  As a murder mystery, it crashes and burns terribly. If you want a "whodunit," prepare to be disappointed, because you don't have to be Encyclopedia Brown to put THIS one together. But as a character study, it's interesting. Yes, these people would have to be absolute cretins to not know who killed the girl, but that notwithstanding, it's an interesting look at someone trying to move beyond his past in a small community where it's difficult to start over because everyone knows you too well. I've lived in a "no traffic light" town in my day, and anonymity and privacy are nearly impossible to find, much less a chance to re-make yourself. And, as one of the town's police officers, the protagonist has to interact with the community all the time, making a re-invention that much more difficult. Watching it for THAT makes it worth watching. So, consider it a movie where the event is more the internal struggle and not the outward struggle of solving the murder mystery. Keep your focus on the character, not the events, and you'll like it a lot more.

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• Good, but could have been better...

  catsklgd12012-07-17

  I was gliding through the selection of Indie films on Netflix, looking for something interesting to kill an hour or two, when I came across this film. The title intrigued me, as did the description, so I added it to my streaming queue. When the film began, I immediately liked the feel of it, set as it is in Canadian farm country, with big vistas and a stark, rural atmosphere. The music was totally unique, and fit the story perfectly. The only problem I had was that it was too loud at times, and probably a bit intrusive as well. I liked the "chapter titles," and thought they added to the film's feel. The character of Walter, the Chief of Police, was well drawn, although I would have liked a bit more detail to explain his past. Nonetheless, I was able to glean enough insight into his psyche to allow me to still enjoy the sterling performance of Peter Stormare (Fargo, Big Lebowski). This was probably the finest performance I have seen him give, and he deserves a good deal of recognition for it. Jill Hennessy turned in a compelling performance as a woman caught in the middle, and every minute she was on screen was memorable. The direction was spot-on, and I imagine we'll be seeing quite a bit more from Ed Gass-Donnelly in the future. If you like films that are more than just special effects and oddball cinematic techniques, you'll enjoy Small Town Murder Songs. Is it a murder mystery? Not really; there isn't much doubt about whodunit. This is a film about redemption, which is a subject not often handled as well as it is here. Highly recommended.

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