On the surface, “Small Town Murder Songs” is a police
procedural involving the death of a young woman. What makes the film so
engaging is that the murder serves as a backdrop to one man’s efforts at a
small measure of redemption.
The story is set in a cold, desolate Mennonite town in
northern Ontario. The characters seem rooted in place, and indeed the town
seems to keep even those with reasons to leave from even making an attempt to
escape.
The film’s protagonist is Walter, the town’s sheriff. Walter
is attempting to put his violent past and short temper behind him. However, the
townspeople seem unwilling to forgive him. Walter is constantly met with
nervous glances and disapproval, and even he seems unsure about whether his efforts
are sincere. He finds hope in the Catholic Church and a woman who is aware of
his questionable past but who appears to have also been through some hard
times.
Walter’s plan for redemption is to surround himself with
anything and anyone he can to keep his anger at bay, but the discovery of the
dead woman sets into motion a series of events that threaten to bring Walter’s
recovery to a screeching halt. Walter suspects from the outset that his past
lover’s creepy boyfriend was involved in the killing, and there is quite a bit
of evidence to support his case. The ex is played by Jill Hennessey with a
combination of fear and anger towards Walter. It becomes evident early on that
a violent incident occurred between the two, raising doubt about the validity
of Walter’s suspicion of his ex’s boyfriend.
The murder investigation is fairly straightforward and
presents few twists, but the movie doesn’t have to rely on it for suspense. The
tension comes from Walter’s character, and Peter Stormare does an excellent job
of making us feel sorry for Walter when he may not deserve our sympathy. By the
end of the film, the new life Walter has attempted to build for himself is
about to come crashing down.
“Small Town Murder Songs” is not without its flaws. Despite
its 75-minute running time, some scenes tend to drag, and the end is not what
many viewers would have hoped for. There really isn’t a happy ending to be
written for a small town murder song.
*Available at Redbox and Netflix Instant Streaming
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