Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Robyn Nesbitt (nesfilmreviews) The oddly and evocatively titled "Small Town Murder Songs" is a stark, powerful drama that in brief outline can sound mistakenly as it turns out -- very much like a police procedural. Instead, it's a character study about a man desperately trying to hold onto some sense of himself while squeezed in a psychological, spiritual, and professional vise. Toronto writer/director Gass-Donnelly combines powerful imagery to a thundering score rich in percussion and choral singing, created by Bruce Peninsula. Rarely does cinema and music mesh as boldly as this. It's a fairly straightforward movie told in a very brief 75 minutes -- every scene carries weight, and nothing is wasted.Set in a tiny Mennonite community in the lovely rural heartlands outside of London, Ontario, where Walter (Peter Stormare) is an aging police officer who is investigating the murder of a young women whose naked body was found dumped in the weeds on the outskirts of town. Walter must do his job, but his current investigation involves something from his past. He is a man haunted with regret, searching for forgiveness and deliverance, which only accentuates the poignancy of his current situation.Stormare delivers a tremendous performance, completely inhabiting his character. He superbly conveys the interior torment of a violent man attempting to live and work as a peacemaker, but you have to wonder if he couldn't have used a bit more of a back story. The story is so lean, we really don't know enough about Walter to fully appreciate the burden he must bear. The musical score elevates this otherwise bare film, truly enhancing this simple story while adding emotional depth in place of the ambiguity of its characters. Between Stormare's performance, the cinematography, and the forceful atmospheric music, "Small Town Murder Songs" achieves a unique kind of splendor.

platinumpyrrs Recommended for watchers that appreciate the fine enactment of a well-crafted screenplay. Direction also very good. All the actors had their moments, and some were indeed memorable: I shall always remember the look between Rita and Steve at the end when Steve is in the back of the police vehicle. Let's just say brilliant acting, direction, and camera-work must culminate to capture something that good. Of course, one will need to watch what comes before to reach that point. The pace of the movie is deliberate, and dialog is often exchanged haltingly, especially from our main man, Walter (Peter Stormare depicts him from the inside out -- excellent all the way through; also loved the lingering accent, which fits Walter perfectly). Music and biblical quotes were a bit jangling, I must agree, as many other reviewers have noted. The quotes were more of a problem than the music for me, because I have a problem with quotes in general. As a viewer, I don't need to be told what a section of movie is going to be about. That's a bit of an insult, in fact. Anyway, take the quotes out and the movie would have been just as watchable from my perspective. Music -- OK, it adds atmosphere, though again I probably would have enjoyed the movie just as much without it. Reminiscent of another Mennonite-centric film I saw directed by Carlos Reygadas in Mexico, Silent Night, though that was brilliant in a very different way.To recap, here, "Small Town Murder Songs" is a title that describes the movie literally; the acting, screenplay, and direction make this a watchable film, especially for the contemplative viewer.

classicsoncall Well, it's happened before where I've been taken in by the promotional blurbs on a film's DVD cover. "A rare film. Cosmologically profound." was the way Variety Magazine put it. "A must-see fresh take on crime and redemption." from the Toronto Star; forgivable I guess because this is a Canadian movie. Then there's "Haunting...Totally Captivating.", which if I had read further to see that it came from the Huffington Post I might have put it down right there.With that kind of a build-up, my expectations were raised for a unique viewing experience. Unfortunately, this film with the cool title is basically your every day murder mystery that could pass in most places as a TV episode, take your pick of series. A plot element that might have had much more of an impact if it had been explored further was the character of police chief Walter (Peter Stormare), who in flash backs is shown beating on an unknown victim, but without that person's identity, there's no ability to connect the dots to the case at hand. All we know is that Walter has rage control problems and he's trying to overcome them, but in the final analysis, I didn't find that to be good enough.Oddly, with the issue I had with the story line, I was strangely fascinated by the bluesy gospel inspired sound track. It would have been better if the music didn't suddenly blare out at you as it did; I had to constantly go for the volume control to bring the level down a few notches. I don't know anything about the Mennonite community or their religion, so I can't say if the music fit the picture's sensibilities or not. But it did seem to reconcile itself with Walter's quest for personal redemption.Now I'm thinking about the ending, and I have to wonder. Was the creepy guy Steve arrested for the murder (all indications pointed to that), or for assailing Walter? You know these two had a bad history between them, but was this a case of the ends justifying the means on Walter's part? Not really clear if you think about it. And the bigger question - how does a looker like Rita get involved with a couple of characters like Walter or Steve in the first place?

Cinnyaste Set in colorless, out-in-the-boonies Ontario, Canada, "Small Town Murder Songs" effectively captures small town life... with a murderer on the loose.Sliced into segments punctuated by biblical quotes, this melancholy tale follows the creepy Police Chief, a Mennonite, as he tracks the killer in an inbred and insular podunk community.Peter Stormare shines as a Police Chief who's a hand grenade with the pin pulled. Seems the Chief's former girlfriend is now shacking up with the main suspect. Also seems the Chief kicked the crap out of someone not too long ago."Small Town Murder Songs" obliquely suggests "Witness." Here the religious spine is irrelevant. This is a most basic redemption story; one that's many times been told. The spiritual slant does little to liberate the common plot. The extraordinary, effective soundtrack emphasizing the title does. The deliberate, bucolic pace and beautifully framed landscapes also add much. Unfortunately, it's not enough. Be prepared to feel like you're listening to a discordant orchestra trying to follow a fumbling maestro's baton.This certainly is not a must see film. It's a slightly odd take on a story you've seen a million times. Watch it, if you must, for Stormare, the soundtrack. For something different. Afterward don't run to me crying, "It wasn't that good."