by Pa Rock
Film Fan
A pair of unusual circumstances came together over the past few days which resulted in me being able to watch some really great movies. First, I am apparently caught up on all of the television series that have captured my attention over the past couple of years, and second, my wifi signal has stabilized for some reason, allowing me to watch movies in the evenings with little or no interruption. And during this hot streak of television accessibility over the Roku streaming device, Amazon's Prime has coughed up some primo movies.
I am a fan of the mystery genre, and, as such, I have watched nearly all of the wonderful crime fiction shows put out by the BBC over the past few decades. I also subscribe to two short story mystery publications (Alfred Hitchcock. Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine), enjoy mystery novels, and occasionally stumble upon a good mystery movie on which to sharpen my imagined skills of deduction.
A few days ago I made a selection off of Prime, an older movie called "Brigham City" (2001) that was advertised as a tale about a small town in Utah where nothing ever happened - and suddenly had to deal with a serial killer. It was an independent film that boasted only one star that I had ever heard of - former oatmeal salesman Wilford Brimley. But it was a slow evening - and what the heck. I decided to start it and see if it would hold my interest.
It did.
"Brigham City" is a fictional tale that focuses on the deaths of several young women, all of whom were well known in the tight-knit Mormon community. The local sheriff, who is also the town's Mormon bishop, struggles to protect his town from the killer as well as from encroaching outside forces and influences - and he also struggles to keep his two roles within the community - sheriff and bishop - distinct, yet functional.
The plotting is clever, and even an old armchair sleuth like me was left guessing right up until the final few minutes of the film. As mysteries go, "Brigham City," is first rate. But the film also succeeds as a social commentary. The entire storyline is carefully woven through the Mormon religion and culture, and the result is to see some horrific crimes not only through the police perspective, but also through unique religious and small town lenses.
"Brigham City" is primarily the creation of one individual. Richard Dutcher wrote the screenplay, directed and produced the movie, and starred in it as the sheriff - the central character. The conflict that he experiences in shuffling his roles as sheriff and bishop, as well as the difficulties that arise in pursuing a complicated series of crimes through a small community where everyone is on a first name basis with everyone else, are all carefully pulled together into a taut and enthralling story.
For those who enjoy a good mystery "Brigham City" will not disappoint, and if you have an interest in experiencing everyday life in a small Mormon community, it succeeds there as well.
I recommend "Brigham City" without reservations.
Film Fan
A pair of unusual circumstances came together over the past few days which resulted in me being able to watch some really great movies. First, I am apparently caught up on all of the television series that have captured my attention over the past couple of years, and second, my wifi signal has stabilized for some reason, allowing me to watch movies in the evenings with little or no interruption. And during this hot streak of television accessibility over the Roku streaming device, Amazon's Prime has coughed up some primo movies.
I am a fan of the mystery genre, and, as such, I have watched nearly all of the wonderful crime fiction shows put out by the BBC over the past few decades. I also subscribe to two short story mystery publications (Alfred Hitchcock. Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine), enjoy mystery novels, and occasionally stumble upon a good mystery movie on which to sharpen my imagined skills of deduction.
A few days ago I made a selection off of Prime, an older movie called "Brigham City" (2001) that was advertised as a tale about a small town in Utah where nothing ever happened - and suddenly had to deal with a serial killer. It was an independent film that boasted only one star that I had ever heard of - former oatmeal salesman Wilford Brimley. But it was a slow evening - and what the heck. I decided to start it and see if it would hold my interest.
It did.
"Brigham City" is a fictional tale that focuses on the deaths of several young women, all of whom were well known in the tight-knit Mormon community. The local sheriff, who is also the town's Mormon bishop, struggles to protect his town from the killer as well as from encroaching outside forces and influences - and he also struggles to keep his two roles within the community - sheriff and bishop - distinct, yet functional.
The plotting is clever, and even an old armchair sleuth like me was left guessing right up until the final few minutes of the film. As mysteries go, "Brigham City," is first rate. But the film also succeeds as a social commentary. The entire storyline is carefully woven through the Mormon religion and culture, and the result is to see some horrific crimes not only through the police perspective, but also through unique religious and small town lenses.
"Brigham City" is primarily the creation of one individual. Richard Dutcher wrote the screenplay, directed and produced the movie, and starred in it as the sheriff - the central character. The conflict that he experiences in shuffling his roles as sheriff and bishop, as well as the difficulties that arise in pursuing a complicated series of crimes through a small community where everyone is on a first name basis with everyone else, are all carefully pulled together into a taut and enthralling story.
For those who enjoy a good mystery "Brigham City" will not disappoint, and if you have an interest in experiencing everyday life in a small Mormon community, it succeeds there as well.
I recommend "Brigham City" without reservations.
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