Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

SnoopyStyle Walter (Peter Stormare) is a small Ontario town chief of police with a large Mennonite farming community. They find the naked body of a young woman. It's his first murder. He's trying to overcome his angry past. However the murder leads to Rita (Jill Hennessy) who provides an alibi for her boyfriend Steve (Stephen Eric McIntyre).This is a festival indie by writer/director Ed Gass-Donnelly. With Peter Stormare and those great thumping songs by Bruce Peninsula, this has the feel of a Coen movie. The story isn't that compelling. It needs to be either more twisty or more grotesque. It doesn't compare to its modern compatriots. Stormare is amazing as he usually is. He is a great character actor in need of a big time role. And the music just drives so hard that it energizes a pretty simple story. This movie is much more about this quiet character as most of his struggle is interior.

kosmasp This is almost an exhibit in acting. Peter Stormare is as great in this as the bit players. There is no weakness to be found in the acting department. The short running time is good too, the music is well selected and the script is as tight as it should be. I personally do not agree as much with Coen comparisons, because this is far more serious than a Fargo.It's important to know, because people will think of Fargo and not of Millers Crossing or other serious themed movies the Coen brothers did. Most of the people that is. All in all it wouldn't do justice to the filmmaker just comparing him to someone else. He did something really amazing here, mixing photography and sound to make a movie about human downfall(s).

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.

DaveTheNovelist (WriterDave) Coming across films like "Small Town Murder Songs" is akin to the discovery of a new world.Yet the eeriness lies in the scents of past loves...echoes of the Coen Brother's "Fargo", Reygadas' "Silent Light" and Granik's "Winter's Bone" seep into this film and are as troubling as Jill Hennessy's character's hold over the detective played by Peter Stormare.I don't know who this Ed Gass-Donnelly is, but he's a director to watch for in the future. Excellent cinematography and a soundtrack of bluesy rock gospel songs that I instantly purchased from iTunes make this tale of murder in a small Ontario Mennonite community stay with you long after its brief run-time expires.Check out full reviews at theschleicherspin.com