Brigham City (2001)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Best movie of this year hands down!

best movie i've ever seen.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Brigham City is a "Garden of Eden" story based in Brigham City, Utah. Brigham City is a little piece of Mormon paradise interrupted by the presence of an evil serpent. Never before has the city experienced a murder. This movie portrays a definite contrast between the "real world" and the naive town. This contrast goes hand in hand with Mormon communities. Mormon communities are well known and criticized for their isolation from mainstream society. The discussion between the sheriff and deputy about real world news and the fact that the secretary at the sheriff's office had not recognized the signal for a dead body highlights the isolation of the town. The main character, Wes, holds a pivotal role in this film, as he represents the entire religious community. Serving as bishop and sheriff shows the difficulties of the Mormon community to hold dual roles. His refusal to listen to the news serves as an example of the isolation of the Mormon religion. Wes' naiveté represents innocence, but as the pieces of Terry's gun are methodically put together, so are the pieces of the investigation. Wes gains the knowledge he has been searching for when the gun is whole. Then Wes makes a decision that forces him to lose his innocence forever.The dual roles of the sheriff also help increase the tension of the film. The tension is first apparent when a woman comes into the sheriff's office for a religious confession. The tension between these roles climaxes during the investigation of Steve's house. Wes, performing his duty of sheriff, had little patience for Steve trying to ask for forgiveness for hoarding a pornography stash.One should watch out for the color red in this film as it plays a sinister role in the movie. The car of the first murder victim was red. The blood on the wheel was bright red. Most of the victims have red hair. The fingerprints of the murderer are taken from a red (admittedly almost maroon) cup. The murderer, himself, admits that his only blonde victim had hair that looked red when he finished with her. This color seems to connect the murders and symbolize evil. The most telling scene of this movie was the shooting practice scene. In this scene, Terry and Wes have a discussion about the killer. Terry wonders whether the killer could feel remorse for his actions and whether the killer could be forgiven and sent to heaven. Then we see Wes miss most of his shots while Terry hits all of his targets. Terry's concern for the well-being of the soul of the murderer hints and excellent shooting skills are a strong indication that Terry is the killer. Wes' story lack of marksmanship shows his innocence while his story about his first hunting experience shows how easily innocence can be lost.Clearly, the foreshadowing of this film may be been a bit obvious. Stu's death seems imminent from the very beginning because he says that one day his companions will miss him when he is gone. An ominous moment occurs when "All is well" is spoken at the gazebo. It should not go unnoticed that the next murder victim was found shortly after under the very same gazebo. And who could miss the signs that pointed to the murderer in the shooting practice scene? But if one dials the foreshadowing down some, imagine the suspense one could create. All-in-all, Brigham City may not be at the top of one's list of movies to see if one is looking for suspense. At times, the movie becomes a little too concerned with the religious message and the feeling of tension is lost. The plot is a little tired and the foreshadowing allows one to identify the last victim and the killer well before the movie comes to an end. But if one is looking for a film that captures the very essence and struggle of the Mormon community, this film is one to see.

The standard serial murder mystery elements are all here, from the intruding federal agents to the bewildered local population. The great new approach is from the context of the movie, that being a Mormon community.The victims, investigators, and probably even the murderer are all from the small deeply religious town. How that plays out during the course of the murders makes for a new and excellently entertaining approach to the old mystery formula.The ending may be a let down to some, no final ultra twist, but the film is superior for the journey.

Brigham's sheriff -- a terribly sad, but extremely decent man -- is forced to admit that there is a serial killer in his small, friendly, pretty little town. He sets about looking for the killer from what appears to be a hopelessly blinkered perspective, refusing to believe that anyone but an "outsider" could be responsible. He gradually finds his way to the answer, and it hurts to watch. I could happily see a film by this director every day of the week. This was absolutely brilliantly done -- such a nice change from all the crash and bash of more typical overacted, overplotted, punctuated-by-explosions movies. Dutcher gives the lie to the idea that movie characters (especially the police) need to be wisecracking, high-octane, postmodern cardboard cutouts in order to solve a crime. It's a rare example, too, of a film filled with deeply religious people who are not simply a bunch of flakes.

It's not often that I cant find something good to say about a film, but this film had no redeemable features whatsoever.The plot centers around a sheriff who is also the towns Bishop who wants the community to maintain its status quo, but is forced to realise change when a serial killer disrupts the towns equilibrium. You'd think that would be an interesting enough premise to get some good drama out of at the very least, but what we see is not even worthy of being called a made for TV production. The 'acting' is horrendous, even by TV movie standards. None of the characters seem to actually care about the murders at all. When they get a vital piece of evidence, they don't even TRY to do anything about it or interview anyone, they all sit down and pray.That's right, they pray. I've heard of police being ineffective but this is unparalleled!The not to subtle pushing of the Morman religion is an uncomfortable sub-text that continues throughout the film. This subliminal attempt at influencing the viewer is inappropriate to the story and I feel, inappropriate full stop.The ending is the most flat conclusion that I have ever seen, especially for a plot that revolves around a serial killer.Ironically, the apparent main aim of this film is to make you have faith in God, but by the time the credits roll any belief you have in a higher power will be eradicated completely.This is arguably the worst film I have EVER had the misfortune of viewing, and I've watched Streetfighter!