Roswell

Having been privy to many of the related details in this fine made-for-tv movie, i feel that 'Roswell' is probably the most well-researched film dealing with the subject of close encounters and linked government conspiracies that one can find, and i recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone interested in this subject. Further, allow me to direct interested viewers to the similar, if largely dramatized, 1980 film 'Hangar 18'.

Interesting, but rarely exciting look at the events surrounding Roswell - a New Mexican town plagued with rumour and notoriety ever since an apparent U.F.O. crashed there in 1947. Of course, this above-par TV movie plays around with the myths and conspiracy theory's put forward by crackpots and officials ever since.

Story is told from Jesse Marcel's (MacLachlan) point of view, a soldier with the U.S. Army back in '47 when the incident happened. Story also takes place in 1977, where Jesse (with his tired wife Kim Griest and sceptical son Doug Wert) is still searching for the truth.

Film uses intriguing and long flashback sequences to explain the events of '47. In these flashbacks, we are told how Jesse is with the team that finds the wreckage of a craft. He takes some of the material home, and finds it is nothing like anything made on Earth, but soon enough, he finds there has been a cover-up, and then finds out he has been made the scapegoat. The army come out with the explanation that is was a weather balloon, various reports go missing and people are unwilling to talk. Jesse's search for the truth starts here. Jump forward to '77 again, and Jesse is regarded as a crackpot as well - with even his own son is beginning to think he should give it up. However, Jesse manages to track down old soldiers, doctors and officials, who 30 years on, may now be willing to speak.

Roswell never really answers the questions it and many others have raised, but it is still an intriguing insight in to a significant incident that still raises arguments today. A top notch cast - including Martin Sheen as a government official - also helps.

Kyle MacLachlan may be the star of this movie but Dwight Yoakam steals the show with his portrayal of Mac Brazel. If you're not familiar with the Roswell Incident (who isn't by now?) this movie will clue you in quickly and accurately without having to read your way through a stack of books on the subject. If you're already a believer, this movie will quickly become on of your favorites. It is a docu-drama. DOCU...DRAMA - of course some of the acting is melo-dramatic - it's a made-for-TV movie about the crash of an alien spaceship...hello.... That aside - the movie is true to its subject matter and the acting is not the horror show some have claimed. I went to film school (Columbia) and believe me, compared to what I've seen - this is A+++. They are also Hollyweird actors, not schlocks so how bad can it be? I won't restate the plot here but I wanted to refute the few 'this is horrible!' posts out there. It's not horrible and it's very informative. Unlike others, I also found it suspenseful. The suspense doesn't come directly from the action but from slowly uncovering what happened right along with Jesse himself.

See it - you won't regret it.

One thing that impressed me a bit about his movie were the scenes of government officials discussing what to do in the wake of Roswell. I consider it highly likely that the coverup was (and still is) motivated primarily by a realization that advanced ETs, if revealed, would devastate existing religious beliefs and political institutions. Also intriguing were the tactics proposed to help the coverup. Bad information was to be leaked through good sources and good information through bad sources. There is fairly good evidence of this. The whole Roswell case is awash with nonsense and disinformation put out by people in touch with the government, notably Corso, Courtney Brown and K.Korff.The latter supports the official line that no ET crash occurred; it was just a balloon array, supposedly difficult to identify because it consisted of 23 balloons. But many people can see through official explanations, so outright denial must be supplemented by disinformation.If they can't prevent some people from believing at least they can try to prevent them from drawing the right conclusions.That is the purpose of disinformation. The truth is that Roswell was a deliberate crash, intended to contact the government without frightening it, as landing intact would have. Note that the aliens don't land and reveal themselves yet, not any more than the government discloses their existence. The two have collaborated since the outset, in 1947.To obscure this, Corso portrayed the aliens as hostile, while the putative briefing document says their intentions are completely unknown. The obvious implication, and purpose of the phoney document, is to discredit the reality: ET-government collaboration.

This Docu-Movie (apparently TV Release in USA) starts off all Doco style in the opening credits, which is great, not highly original, but sets the mood instantly. All key players are present. Marcel (both Jesse and Jess Jr), Ramey, Dubose and Brazel, and are played well.

If you want a retrospective of the Roswell incident played out in Hollywood style, this is the best yet. Not much artistic license taken, which when dealing with something based in fact, is much appreciated.

The crash site was what I really wanted to see portrayed, as this hasn't been recreated previously on film (well, that's even mildly believable) and (if also based on fact) proved to be, the SMOKING GUN. The size of the site is the "Think Tank" for this film.

Fans of Kyle Mclachlan will love this too. Maybe not as much as Blue Velvet, but that's another story...........