Dunsmore

Movies set in small towns in the south tend to have one of two storyline- racial tensions between white and black or a glimpse into the life of the poor town dwellers. "Dunsmore" centered around the murder of a town bully, played wonderfully by W. Earl Brown of Deadwood fame so I gave it a chance. The character he plays, Ronny Roy Pritcher, intimidates his way out of courtrooms and into getting anything he desires, including an underage girl. Within the first few scenes of the movie the audience can see every man, woman and child is afraid of him. However not much is said by the soon to be dead Pritcher so most of the movie relies on flashbacks. After Pritcher dies from multiple gunshot wounds, the press and the Attorney General's office are wondering who to blame.

Walter Taylor( Kadeem Hardison) , an Attorney General office member, is sent to look into the killing and make sure the sheriff is doing his job. His belief he's doing what's best for Pritcher, a man he didn't know, forces him to continue questioning the town to motive. It's evident in his words and actions he doesn't understand the world he's walked into but lets his ideas of justice lead him blindly. All the parts were played to perfection as when we first meet most characters their expressions and attitudes form our opinion of them. With most of the tales of people's relationships with Pritcher told in flashback it got to be a little momentous. Not to mention, after hearing the kind of man Pritcher was, what person would continue to help find him justice? I couldn't fathom it.

Even though I continued watching, I felt no real drive to find out who killed Ronny Pritcher. The stories of his brutality add up until even the viewer is hoping the Attorney General's man returns to the city and leaves things alone. From the beginning it's obvious who shoots Pritcher which left me wondering what the point of the movie was. Did the director intend for it to be a character study of the small town?

To me, this movie was well done but without twists or a shocking end, comes up short. If one wants to watch a bad criminal and bully meet their end then perhaps it is enjoyable. I on the other hand take my murder mystery movies with a little more mystery.

Dunmore is one of those films that creates mixed feelings. On one hand, it is a cheap film with some amateurish editing, direction and cinematography. The script also has a bad habit of wandering and lacking flow at points. On the other hand, though, it is a thoughtful and terrifying film about a small country town named Dunsmore under the domination of one man: Ronny Roy Pritcher. Played with zeal by W. Earl Brown, the film begins with Ronny's murder.

The story then becomes a whodunit that seeks out motive (pretty much everyone in the town has a reason to kill Ronny) as well as suspects, ultimately very similar to a country town version of the 1974 thriller Murder on the Orient Express. As one character remarks near the beginning, "Dunsmore killed Ronny." And it is true, as this is a film with two main characters: Ronny, and the town of Dunsmore. It is the interactions between Ronny and the group of characters within the town that drive the film from beginning to end.

It is here that both the greatest flaws and assets are shown. Shot almost like a documentary, each person has their own story and their own demons. Everyone is unique and the way their lives intersect with Ronny's lead to an entertaining maze of suspects and stories. However, at a point the gritty film-making becomes too self-aware and the characters begin to become almost comical in their plights. Especially with one part as an old man is chased through rows of crops in the dead of the night, Dunsmore becomes less of a smart thriller and more of a cheesy horror-fest.

That's not to say Brown doesn't give Ronny a presence. When he is on screen, he seizes attention. However, he also gives some depth to the character of Ronny who could have easily become an evil caricature. Although the origins of his cruelty are only hinted at in a ridiculous scene of animal torture, Brown has moments to show off charm and at least demonstrate why some people found more than just hate to aim at Ronny. Ultimately, there is no mistaking that this is a small independent movie about a small country town, but the mix of mystery and drama work together to create quite an engaging experience that satisfies more than it disappoints.

Critic's Conclusion: Overall a dark film showing its independent roots, that's not to say Dunsmore fails to have any emotional wallop or to have anything to say. It is an interesting film that shows the still blooming potential of the talent behind it.

Based on a true story, Dunsmore is a gritty, low budget redneck flick about small town bully Ronny Roy Pritcher (W. Earl Brown) who is such a despicable lowlife that he makes some of novelist Larry Brown's characters look like Ivy League Hamptons dwellers.

In the opening scene, Pritcher is blown away outside a bar by no less than 40 rounds of ammunition. The killer(s) are not revealed, but it's not difficult to surmise that they are a large group of townspeople who have simply had enough of him.

The rest of the film follows an investigator from the state attorney's office (Kadeem Hardison....and yes, he's black) as he interviews various victims of Pritcher's sadistic behavior, which is seen in flashbacks.

The film has a cheap look and feel to it, with passable cinematography and acting. Actually, the whole low budget vibe is appropriate to the subject matter.

This one of those films that you keep watching with a kind of horrified fascination. The characters are so unrealistic and over the top, it's pretty hard to take it seriously. On the plus side, veteran actor Barry Corbin plays the town's former sheriff in a small but significant role.

After a violent opening and a setup to let you get to know the characters, the movie keeps building momentum as we realize that nothing is really what it seems to be. In the end it makes you think about right and wrong without preaching at you. I highly recommend it.

This movie is a heck of a lot of fun!!!

Here's how it breaks down:

The death of a feared and hated man leads to a conspiracy of silence in this drama. Walter Taylor (Kadeem Hardison) is an investigator from the state attorney general's office who is sent to a small Southern town to investigate an unusual murder. Ronny Roy Pritchett (W. Earl Brown) was a town bully who could intimidate just about anyone into giving him what he wanted until he was found outside a local tavern one night with 40 shots in his body and no witnesses who would say they saw or heard the attack. With the help of cheerful but ineffectual Sheriff Miller (Rus Blackwell), Taylor begins questioning citizens about Pritchett, including his two wives (Jeanetta Arnette and Alicia Lagano), who have decidedly different memories of their late husband, and Mildred (Talia Shire), the wife of a local pastor who was murdered a few weeks before Pritchett. In time, Taylor begins to piece together a picture of Pritchett's REIGN OF TERROR in the town, as well as his brutally violent relationship with former Sheriff Breen (Barry Corbin). Directed by Peter Spirer, who previously made several respected documentaries on hip-hop culture, including Beef, Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel -- The Life of an Outlaw, and Rhyme & Reason, Dunsmore rocks out like rockstar!

Bottom line: you'll want more, more, MORE of Dunsmore!