Mayerthorpe

The average Canadian will think this film is about the events that unfolded one morning in which four mounties lost their lives. It isn't, and it shouldn't be.

The focus is instead on the perpetrator's past -- how a man who was responsible for the rape and exploitation of the town's young, was known for aggression and intimidation against any who sided with the law against him, and was also known for his love of all things related to firearms was able to get off with a few slaps on the wrist and a total of two years in jail.

The movie makes it blatantly obvious that the local police force and many of Mayenthorpe's citizens wrung their hands in impotent frustration, crippled to inaction in order to tow the line with a judicial system that pays them back with no justice whatsoever.

A great story that fleshes things out -- bridging the disconnect that was so prevalent between the newspaper headlines and an actually understanding of what happened that day in Mayenthorpe -- and more importantly that there were many chances to stop it well before it took place.

Menace recounts the deadly shootout between local bully James Roszko and Canadian police, by inter-cutting two different narratives: One, following the events of the final confrontation; and the second, showing flashbacks to Roszko's repeated run-ins with the law, spanning the nearly 15 years before the shooting.

Local police, particularly Corporal Alex Stanton (Henry Czerny), recognize early on that Roszko (Brian Markinson) is a threat to the small community of Mayerthorpe, especially to young boys, but despite Stanton's best efforts, Roszko manages to avoid prosecution until disaster occurs.

This is the familiar story of a sociopath who manages to fall through the cracks of the judicial system, even though common sense dictates he should be locked up. Czerny delivers the film's best performance, conveying Stanton's frustration as he is repeatedly thwarted in his efforts to get a dangerous man off the streets - while remaining emotionally contained, as his profession requires. In one effective scene, Stanton boils over for a split second and yells at Roszko, causing him to flinch.

Markinson is appropriately creepy as the unrepentant Roszko, who becomes a powder keg ready to blow as society fails to check his actions. Diane Ladd makes a brief appearance as Roszko's dysfunctional mother, hinting at the source of Roszko's demons.

There's nothing particularly distinguished about this made-for-TV docudrama, which is reminiscent of many similar U.S. productions; however, the stark Canadian setting makes it more interesting, as Canada is generally unfamiliar with the type of violence that is rampant in the U.S. Appropriately enough, the assault weapon used against the police was obtained in the U.S.

And as with similar films, one can't help pondering the issues raised, starting with the precarious balance of the individual's rights in a free society vs. the safety of a community. In a society that is insane enough to allow ownership of automatic weapons (without which, this slaughter could not have occurred), perhaps something has to give way.

Recommended particularly for Czerny's performance.

this was by far one of the best movies i have ever watched.i had high expectations for this movie and was not disappointed. it was a moving and tragic portrayal of a horrific event in Canadian history. As your watching it's hard to believe that it actually happened, i kept thinking about how horrible it was. i found it was a very well made movie.it kept my attention through out, there was rarely a dull moment, full of action, emotion, excitement and anticipation. i could barely wait for the commercials to be over so i could get back into the movie to see what was going to happen next. by the end i was moved to tears. i highly recommend this movie.