The movie is set in modern-day Southern Ontario in a small town with a significant Mennonite population surrounding it. The actual filming took place in Listowel, Ontario, which has Mennonites in its rural areas. The story concerns the local police chief, Walter, who is contending with his own violent past as he encounters a murder that comes close to home.
Walter (Peter Stormare) comes from Low German Mennonite stock but is alienated from his family. Although a policeman, he's lived a rough life but has had a born-again experience and been baptized into an unidentified evangelical church. His current partner is Sam (Martha Plimpton), who is a gentle-spirited waitress in town. Walter's "ex" is Rita Louis (Jill Hennessy); she left him six months earlier after one of his violent outbursts and remains very angry at him. Her current partner is Steve (Stephen Eric McIntyre), a guy who lives on the edge of the law and has contempt for Walter.
Walter's deputy, Jim (Aaron Poole), calls Walter to a murder scene where a virtually naked woman has been reported. Since murder is beyond the local police force's capability, the Ontario Provincial Police are called in. The detective, Washington (Ari Cohen), has the other significant role in the film. The police soon figure out that Rita is the person who made the 911 call about the body. However, she insists that Steve was with her the night the murder took place.
The film follows Walter and his efforts to control his violent instincts as he becomes more and more convinced of Steve's guilt. There are a couple of confrontations between Walter and Steve, and Rita. In the end, Walter is able to stick to his new-found faith.
This is a movie that can't decide what it is. On one level, it's about a man's struggle with faith. On another level, it's a murder mystery of sorts. On a third level, it's about a town and Mennonite community dealing with a scary crime in the community. From the director's comments, it's clear he filmed one movie and changed it into a different movie during post-production. And that change shows, big time.
The Mennonite references are odd and confusing. Walter comes from Low German Mennonite stock, and there are several scenes with his brother and father where dialogue is in dialect. On the other hand, we see Old Order Mennonite buggies pass on the road, see conservative Mennonites on the town street, and Walter has a conversation with Olive (Jackie Burroughs), who appears to be some sort of elderly conservative Mennonite woman from a "Swiss Mennonite" background. The "Mennonite" part of the film has little to do with the plot or any significant characters. It was probably just a selling point.
The music is very odd (Sacred Harp music while a large building is towed through town). Numerous characters appear without inadequate context.
Walter (Peter Stormare) comes from Low German Mennonite stock but is alienated from his family. Although a policeman, he's lived a rough life but has had a born-again experience and been baptized into an unidentified evangelical church. His current partner is Sam (Martha Plimpton), who is a gentle-spirited waitress in town. Walter's "ex" is Rita Louis (Jill Hennessy); she left him six months earlier after one of his violent outbursts and remains very angry at him. Her current partner is Steve (Stephen Eric McIntyre), a guy who lives on the edge of the law and has contempt for Walter.
Walter's deputy, Jim (Aaron Poole), calls Walter to a murder scene where a virtually naked woman has been reported. Since murder is beyond the local police force's capability, the Ontario Provincial Police are called in. The detective, Washington (Ari Cohen), has the other significant role in the film. The police soon figure out that Rita is the person who made the 911 call about the body. However, she insists that Steve was with her the night the murder took place.
The film follows Walter and his efforts to control his violent instincts as he becomes more and more convinced of Steve's guilt. There are a couple of confrontations between Walter and Steve, and Rita. In the end, Walter is able to stick to his new-found faith.
This is a movie that can't decide what it is. On one level, it's about a man's struggle with faith. On another level, it's a murder mystery of sorts. On a third level, it's about a town and Mennonite community dealing with a scary crime in the community. From the director's comments, it's clear he filmed one movie and changed it into a different movie during post-production. And that change shows, big time.
The Mennonite references are odd and confusing. Walter comes from Low German Mennonite stock, and there are several scenes with his brother and father where dialogue is in dialect. On the other hand, we see Old Order Mennonite buggies pass on the road, see conservative Mennonites on the town street, and Walter has a conversation with Olive (Jackie Burroughs), who appears to be some sort of elderly conservative Mennonite woman from a "Swiss Mennonite" background. The "Mennonite" part of the film has little to do with the plot or any significant characters. It was probably just a selling point.
The music is very odd (Sacred Harp music while a large building is towed through town). Numerous characters appear without inadequate context.