Rating: 
Summary: Bringing a town into the 21st century.
Review: This picture shows the struggles of a small town, where they never lock their doors, when it enters the 21st century. It shows the struggles of a very religious people and their facing the horror and evil that the worst of our modern day has to offer. At first, they deny that it has touched their town. They insist that it was just a random act of violence that happened on the outskirts of the town. But when the next incident is to one of their own residents, they can no longer deny that evil has come to their sleepy town. And they aren't prepared for it, because they have never had a murder in their town before. So they have to call in the FBI. As one resident says, "The whole police department was there." Somebody else says that there are only 2 of them. And the resident says, "Yep, both of them were there." This picture shows how if we all pull together, we can make it through any adversity.
Rating:
Summary: the persistence of evil
Review: ... Wes Clayton (Richard Dutcher) makes for an odd kind of sheriff. He's a tad portly, with one knee in a full brace. He's not much of a shot with a handgun and
has never fired at a living thing since a boyhood trauma while out hunting. He's soft-spoken and somewhat withdrawn since the car accident that killed his
wife and son and left him gimpy. And he's a Mormon bishop. Of course, Brigham City isn't your typical police beat. It's a place where folks leave their doors
unlocked at night and where there's never been a murder. Or, there had never been a murder, until Clayton and his over-eager young deputy, Terry, find the
body of a young California woman who was driving through town before someone crushed her skull. Where Terry sees an exciting opportunity to investigate a real crime for once, Clayton only hopes to protect his town from being affected by this contamination
from the outside world, and his initial efforts are mostly directed towards hushing up the murder and getting the FBI to handle the case. But he recognizes the
risk to the community that this intrusion of evil poses : What we got here is a little paradise. And nothing attracts a serpent like a paradise. And, as other murders are committed, it becomes obvious that the serpent has indeed settled in Brigham City. In the scene that gave director Richard Dutcher
the idea for the film, the corpse of one victim, a beauty queen, is found under the lovely white gazebo in the town square. Clayton asks Terry : "You had enough
of the real world yet?" But must confront the possibility that his own failure to reckon with the possibility of such evil may have contributed to the killer's
cause. Mr. Dutcher gives a very quiet, soulful performance as a man who's frightened of the violence of the outside world and within his own heart. His devotion to
his community and his friends and neighbors leads him to strain constitutional bounds in ways that are troubling but understandable, just as his confrontation
with evil forces him to strain the bounds of his own morality, in ways that trouble him but are understandable to us and to the characters around him. There's
a closing scene based around the communion that is one of the most affecting you'll ever see and while it, and much else here, is sort of religious propaganda, it
is quite effective as drama too. Make no mistake about it, this is a proselytizing film and it may not appeal to all tastes. But it is a fascinating glimpse into Mormon culture, a fine though
gimmicky mystery/thriller, and a thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation on the persistence of evil. GRADE : A-
Rating: 
Summary: Frightening fascism
Review: This film (unintentionally, to be sure) presents one of the best arguments for separation of church and state that I've ever seen on film. I am amazed that no one else writing reviews seems to have been disturbed by the film's "hero," a small-town sheriff who is also a Mormon bishop, sending out church elders--not deputized and without warrants--on a search of the interior of people's houses. The film seems to not only countenance, but espouse, egregious violation of the U.S. constitution's guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure. If this represents Mormon-ism, then there is much for citizens to fear from its practitioners.
Rating: 
Summary: An engrossing yet imperfect little film
Review: I was quite skeptical coming into this movie, having hated Dutcher's freshman offering, "God's Army". I was therefore pleasantly surprised with the improvement this film showed. Gone are the bland, formulaic characters and storylines. This story is edgy, fresh, and insightful. At times I was worried the plot was about to make a tragic, cliched mistake. But just as it looked like it was going to fall into so much gummy "cheese", the plot twisted and I realized what a skillful, poignant statement Dutcher had woven into the scene. While the supporting cast is excellent, Dutcher would have done better to have stayed behind the camera, where he is more talented, and to have turned the lead over to a more convincing actor. The movie's greatest weakness was a generally stilted dialogue which was at best only average. A few scenes and subplots, notably where the FBI agent expresses her curiosity regarding Mormon doctrines and the "are they or aren't they" expressions of romantic tension between the agent and the sheriff, are distract from the story, slow down the movie, and should have been left out. The music is hauntingly beautiful, but there were a couple of silent moments when I caught myself wondering where it was. But then its absence at some points serves to make it all the more powerful when it is present. Overall the plot is very original for the murder mystery genre that has been exploited to the point that this would seem impossible. While this script will entertain those of any faith, had I not been Mormon, I'm sure I would have missed many of the nuanced references in the storytelling. It is for this reason that I give it only 3, and not 4, stars. A film of this type ought to seek to trancend cultures and speak to humanity, rather than resort to "inside twists" decipherable only to a few. All in all, however, I would heartily recommend this film to anyone (except perhaps to young children who may find the movie a little too intense and the storyline a little too hard to follow). I'm now looking forward to Dutcher's next project, "The Prophet".
Rating:
Summary: Great faith promoting movie!
Review: Terrific little thriller! The Mormon religion plays an important part of the story, but it is no way sugar-coated. The Mormonism added gives you a little insight into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints beliefs. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who done it.
Rating:
Summary: enjoyed it
Review: Well acted, I must admit it didn't have the feel of a hollywood film and i mean that in the best possible way. The storyline was superb. It does cater to it's target Mormon audience but not at the expense of excluding the general public. If you like indie films give this one a watch
Rating:
Summary: A MAJOR TALENT!
Review: I happened upon this unassuming film quite by chance and was quietly blown away by it. It reaffirms my faith in filmmaking (especially independent), the ability of the actor-director-writer (the auteuer theory) and humanity. Richard Dutcher acts with the same precision and subtlty that he directs and writes. He is a talent to be reckoned with. His film, ostensibly about a serial killer in small Utah town, is about so much more. A morality tale that doesn't preach. A thriller that gives a lesson at every delectable wrong turn we take with it. I want to know more about Richard Dutcher!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Flick
Review: I'll simply quote the Washington Times, April 27... "The fact that Brigham City, new this week from Spartan Home Entertainment, is set deep in the heart of Mormon country and was created by a Mormon filmmaker might turn off some viewers. That would be a big mistake, because "Brigham City" rates with the greatest modern indie noirs (e.g., the Coen Brothers' "Blood Simple," John Dahl's "Red Rock West") shot during the last two decades. It's our Video pick of the week.
Richard Dutcher, writer-director of "Brigham City" (priced for rental VHS, also available on DVD), also takes the lead role of Wes Clayton, chief temporal (as sheriff) and spiritual (as church bishop) protector of idyllic, sheltered Brigham, Utah. But Wes is no shining hero; he's a damaged soul with a tragic history (wife and son killed in a mysterious road mishap that left Wes with a permanent limp and haunted heart) and a major blind spot - a reluctance to acknowledge the "outside" (i.e., non-Mormon) world. As he tersely tells young deputy Terry (Matthew A. Brown) about violent crime, "It doesn't happen. Not here. Here's all I care about." No sooner are those words out of Wes' tight-lipped mouth than the lawmen stumble upon the body of a slain woman in a deserted barn.
The victim is identified as an out-of-state traveler, so Wes is only too happy to turn over the investigation to Salt Lake City FBI agents led by Scully-like Meredith Cole (Tayva Patch). But when pretty, innocent "Miss Brigham 2001" (Jacque Gray) becomes the unknown killer's next bludgeoned victim, Wes is forced to admit that it's indeed an "inside" problem and quite possibly even an inside job.
Like such vintage moral noirs as Nicholas Ray's 1952 "On Dangerous Ground," "Brigham City" is a model of artistic economy wherein every detail serves the story, with nary a wasted word or glance to be found in its swiftly paced 115 minutes. Auteur Dutcher explores his main themes - outsiders vs. insiders, self-destructive denial vs. self-protective guile - while delivering a taut, tense, at times emotionally devastating thriller that will keep you guessing to the end. Anything but a proselytizing Christian film, "Brigham City" is a must for anyone in the mood for a terrific, textured suspenser that will echo long after the end credits roll."
Rating:
Summary: Mormon Cops....What a Concept!
Review: I had been waiting for this one to come out on DVD for a long time. You see, I am LDS and a police officer. From my own experiences, I know it can be difficult to manage at times the quandary of duty to God and duty to man. I feel that Mr. Dutcher's film does this dilemma, to make a bad pun, "justice". Mr. Dutcher plays the lead role in the film, Wes Clayton, a sheriff in a small Utah town. At first, Wes seems like......sort of a dumb redneck. And I mean that in a good way. His beliefs almost seem child-like. However, as the movie progresses, Wes rises to the challenge to find the serial killer who terrorizes the town he is responsible for. Wes is also a Mormon bishop in the town, and so is looked at not just as the local law enforcement leader but as a spiritual leader as well. He handles the situation admireably. I won't give away the plot; suffice it to say the film comes to a shocking yet satisfying ending. Also, at the risk of sounding like a prude, mainstream Hollywood directors could learn a lot from Mr. Dutcher's subtle approach to the subject matter. The film easily gets some unpleasant ideas across without being over the top in violence and sexual subject matter. Do yourself and your family and friends a favor. Buy this DVD and share it with as many people as you can.
Rating:
Summary: Not five stars but OK
Review: I offer three stars for this movie to balance, in a sense, the straight five-star run it seems to have had so far from ... reviewers. It is a nice film but not too gripping, a reasonable evening's entertainment that is neither too gory nor terminally boring. And the cinematography/photography IS a treat. The Mormon religion figures highly in this film in a respectful, sympathetic fashion. I suspect, but of course could not prove, that the film's five-star review run stems from people of the Mormon persuasion who liked what they saw and want to get the word out. To a non-Mormon such as I, Mormon Brigham City as depicted herein came across as a reasonably benevolent yet rather pervasively suffocating religious city-state. And they are all so clean-cut! Would that real life were so. Too bad Wilford Brimley is offed by the killer about two-thirds through the movie. I would have liked to see him go the distance. Bottom line: an OK story OK done but not five stars.
| 
