Small Town Murder Songs

I'm not sure I can grasp how anyone could possibly rate this movie as low as 1 or 2 stars. I saw the angry reviews and thought I'd give this movie a chance since the trailer interested me. This movie has solid acting throughout, and exceptional acting from Stormare, who most of the movie is focused around. There have been complaints about the music, and I'll admit that the music did seem out of place at times. Since the music was to my taste and very soulful, I can give that a pass, but if you don't like glorious musical creations, it could get annoying to some. Although some elements of the story -- especially towards the end -- were left a bit too open for me, the beautiful cinematography, cast, and solid acting make it well worth a viewing.

Only two words to describe this movie. It sucks.

This movie is not a thriller.

Unless you consider a dog barking in slow motion to be a heart-stopping moment.

Do not go by what a couple of reviewers here have mentioned.

I would not even give this movie a one star but I do because the torture finally ends.

Please believe me when I say that I registered at IMDb only to write this review as I do not wish anyone else to waste a precious couple of hours of their life.

Watch this one at your own peril. You have been warned.

I have always admired Peter Stormare's acting but I am unable to recall him in a leading role - until now. He provides a strong performance as a religious police officer with violent and painful past, and there are very few scenes without his presence. As for the rest, I cannot find more outstanding features: the plot is slow and dull (the killer can be figured out early), religious soundtrack and church links are annoying, other actors/characters are not catchy. Even in terms of pondering and profundity, there are far more interesting and versatile movies, even from Canada. Luckily, its duration is 1 hour and 10 minutes only.

Thus, a film for art's sake, but not interesting to follow. It could just have been a psychological film without any crime at all. By the way, I like the Coens a lot and have seen all of their films. Small Town Murder Songs does not measure up to them.

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.

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.