Roswell

Your enjoyment of this film does not depend largely on your acceptance of the story of a crashed alien spacecraft and a government cover up that just does not seem to want to go away. If you believe the narrative, which is based upon Kevin Randle's book UFO crash at Roswell, you will be amply rewarded by a tale that adheres closely to the story, and which treats the subject matter with respect. Even if you think the whole story is stuff and nonsense, you can still enjoy a well made, well cast film that has plenty of atmosphere and crisp direction. Although made for television, Roswell has above average production values which add greatly to the overall tone of the film. Kyle Mclachlan's performance as the perplexed Marcel is fine and some of the set pieces, especially the discovery of the spacecraft wreckage are truly unnerving.

At an army reunion, Jesse Marcel still finds he is treated with derision by his colleagues for claims he made years ago when serving in Roswell, New Mexico. Marcel finds the reunion provides him with more information and a fresh perspective on what happened. In flashbacks he remembers his original discovery of a suspected crash site with unearthly metals, his report and the following coverup. However as more witnesses confide in him how much can he believe is true, a problem that becomes even more pronounced with the input of the mysterious Townsend.

This tv movie is actually quite good. The story is told in flashback and allows us to hear witnesses put in their accounts rather than just see events unfold as fact. This allows the story to be less of a story about what happening at Roswell, but instead to be an account of what may have happened - pieced together over the film. The end result is that the picture painted is quite reasonable and is a bit more believable because we get it bit by bit, accounts adding to other accounts making the whole thing more believable. The only downside of this is that the film doesn't manage to come down on either side of the arguement and doesn't take a stance on what it thinks happens (although this may be a good thing).

The story moves along slowly, trying to remain credible despite the nature of the material,, but eventually it ruins this slow building in one key scene. The final scene between Marcel and Townsend is really enjoyable and moves really fast. Like Marcel we're not sure if Townsend is telling the truth or if he's misleading Marcel and us - in this respect it's still good. However this scene takes away a lot of the credibility that it has built up - Townsend begins to reveal all sorts of stories including tales of aliens messing with human DNA to shape evolution etc, and it really makes you doubt the whole thing. However, despite this it's still a very interesting story.

MacLachlan is good here as the man who knows what he saw but can't explain it, but his makeup for his "old-age" character is quite poor. Sheen may only have a small role but he does manage to have a great screen presence. The rest of the cast is really well filled out by well known faces such as Gunton, Xander Berkeley, Peter MacNicol and Charles Martin Smith.

Overall this is an interesting film that almost manages to move gradually enough to keep cynics on board while still satisfying the X-files crowd. The ending is a little sudden and requires a great leap of faith to accept Sheen's suggestions - but then maybe that's the point. Good.

Kyle MacLachlan may be the star of this movie but Dwight Yoakam steals the show with his portrayal of Mac Brazel. If you're not familiar with the Roswell Incident (who isn't by now?) this movie will clue you in quickly and accurately without having to read your way through a stack of books on the subject. If you're already a believer, this movie will quickly become on of your favorites. It is a docu-drama. DOCU...DRAMA - of course some of the acting is melo-dramatic - it's a made-for-TV movie about the crash of an alien spaceship...hello.... That aside - the movie is true to its subject matter and the acting is not the horror show some have claimed. I went to film school (Columbia) and believe me, compared to what I've seen - this is A+++. They are also Hollyweird actors, not schlocks so how bad can it be? I won't restate the plot here but I wanted to refute the few 'this is horrible!' posts out there. It's not horrible and it's very informative. Unlike others, I also found it suspenseful. The suspense doesn't come directly from the action but from slowly uncovering what happened right along with Jesse himself.

See it - you won't regret it.

Interesting, but rarely exciting look at the events surrounding Roswell - a New Mexican town plagued with rumour and notoriety ever since an apparent U.F.O. crashed there in 1947. Of course, this above-par TV movie plays around with the myths and conspiracy theory's put forward by crackpots and officials ever since.

Story is told from Jesse Marcel's (MacLachlan) point of view, a soldier with the U.S. Army back in '47 when the incident happened. Story also takes place in 1977, where Jesse (with his tired wife Kim Griest and sceptical son Doug Wert) is still searching for the truth.

Film uses intriguing and long flashback sequences to explain the events of '47. In these flashbacks, we are told how Jesse is with the team that finds the wreckage of a craft. He takes some of the material home, and finds it is nothing like anything made on Earth, but soon enough, he finds there has been a cover-up, and then finds out he has been made the scapegoat. The army come out with the explanation that is was a weather balloon, various reports go missing and people are unwilling to talk. Jesse's search for the truth starts here. Jump forward to '77 again, and Jesse is regarded as a crackpot as well - with even his own son is beginning to think he should give it up. However, Jesse manages to track down old soldiers, doctors and officials, who 30 years on, may now be willing to speak.

Roswell never really answers the questions it and many others have raised, but it is still an intriguing insight in to a significant incident that still raises arguments today. A top notch cast - including Martin Sheen as a government official - also helps.

When watching this film , viewers have to keep 2 things in mind: That this is a TV movie, and that this movie was made to tell a story, not to blow you away. While some things in this movie were made up in order to tell the real story

(As far as I know, the whole thing about the reunion of all the soldiers and Jesse Marcel talking with a lot of them in order to find out what happened , is made up. While Jesse Marcel did exist and everything that the movie said that happened to him really did happen to him, the scenario of him talking to all this people 30+ years later was created to tell the story of the crash). But when it comes to what is important: The Roswell Incident, this movie is accurate with what eye witnesses have been saying for years. If you are an skeptic who really doesn't care about the subject at all, then you will find little, or no entertainment value here.

But if this subject interests you, this movie will entertain you and inform you. Highly recommended to all of you who are curious about what happened in Roswell New Mexico in July of 1947.