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.
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.