Load of rubbish!!

Crappy film

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Film Review: Reeseville (2003)Production Companies: Pied Piper Productions, Doomed Productions Ltd. Director: Christian Otjen Screenplay: Christian Otjen Cinematography: Jerry Holway Music: Kevin Saunders Hayes Producers: Dan Kattman and Holly Mosher Main Cast: Brad Hunt, Mark Hamill, Majandra Delfino, Brian Wimmer, Sally Struthers and Missy Crider. DVD Release: Doomed Productions Ltd. Rating: R for violence, sexuality and language Run Time: 99 minutes Director Christian Otjen (Lady in the Box, Frightened to Death) is back with another mystery set in Wisconsin. Reeseville is an engaging character study about small-town secrets. Part mystery, part drama, it holds the viewer with its engaging characters and some stellar performances.Otjen's polished film is set in the small Wisconsin town of Reeseville, which is located about half-way between Milwaukee and Madison. However, it could be set in any small, Midwestern town, which is part of its appeal. Without giving away too much, the basic plot involves the apparent suicide of an old man on the very day his estranged son shows up back in town after nearly twenty years' absence. The town's Sheriff (Brian Wimmer) suspects the son (in a fine, understated performance by Brad Hunt) of foul play after the town's quirky coroner, played by Mark Hamill, informs him it might not have been a suicide.The strength of Reeseville lies in several wonderful performances, most notably Mark Hamill and Miss Crider. Mark Hamill plays the coroner Zeke in a quiet, understated performance which really highlights what a wonderful character actor he has become. The beautiful Missy Crider steals every scene she's in. She plays the best friend of the Sheriff's sister. Ms. Crider is radiant and the camera obviously loves her. My largest complaint about the film is that she was not featured more prominently.As he did with Lady in the Box, Otjen has made a wonderful looking film here. Reeseville is expertly shot by DP Jerry Holway. The film captures the small-town feel of Midwestern life expertly. Christian Otjen is obviously talented as a filmmaker, and I await his next film excitedly. The film's flaws are not many. Reeseville works more as a character study than a thriller, although there are some suspenseful moments. The film could have actually used another twenty minutes or so, in order to flesh out the characters and provide more of Ms. Crider and Mr. Hamill.As of right now, the film is only available on DVD in the United States through the film's website. The DVD itself is very well presented. Crisp picture and sound. Thirty minutes of deleted scenes provide a glimpse of an even better film. The DVD also includes a few theatrical trailers as well as a behind-the-scenes photo album. Perhaps in the near future, a large distribution company will pick up this smart, taut character-driven mystery.

Reeseville is a mystery thriller that starts very well but ends very bad; I mean while the beginning is somewhat astonishing, showing us a flashback scene very well shot, in a great kind of cinematography, of something that happened in the past, the end is quite predictable and, I would say, disappointing! Like other IMDb user said I also think that this film "spoils it self" near the end. It's a good movie in suspense and mystery subject, but when all the mystery is revealed it totally falls into a cheap drama with a predictable and disappointing ending… On the other hand, I also think that a great part of this suspense is created by the soundtrack. The tracks are nice, based on deep string sounds, but I must say that I don't remember a movie so needed of a chilling soundtrack to create some suspense and mystery to the viewer! I mean if we could watch the very same scenes without the soundtrack I bet that no one of us would be tense with those scenes! They aren't frightening by themselves, by the images, but just because of the sounds! Anyway, the movie is not bad, but at the beginning I expected a lot more

Being a fan of both Majandra Delfino and Mark Hamill I got this movie last year when it came out on DVD in Europe. When I watched it last year I felt that it wasn't a bad movie but I did think it could be better.When I saw the official site had the DVD with deleted scenes for Region 1, I figured what the heck I would get the new version. I was right, this movie could have been better.The theatrical version was cut to be a thriller but the deleted scene had more of a character study feel to them. They also tied together scenes that didn't really make sense in the theatrical version. Like how Iris got David's mother necklace that Jason grabs from around Iris's neck before the big showdown when David hasn't given it to her yet.In the deleted scenes we see Athee actually gave Iris the necklace for David after Iris and him had a fight and that the scene where he tells her about the necklace actually took place after they had gone out on a date bowling and David walked her home.Iris and David relationship also seem too rushed in the theatrical version. There are a couple of nice scenes with them that were cut which would have made their relationship more plausible and it's too bad because when I first watched it I didn't think Majandra and Brad had a much chemistry but when you see the deleted scenes when they were allow to relax a little you could see that they did have chemistry. Especially the scene that was cut where Iris goes to see David while stoned.Mark Hamill was great in this movie and it was so nice to see him in this. He really has turned into a wonderful character actor. Also Missy Crider as Athee steals every scene she is in. Her and Majandra had such a great chemistry together.The 'mystery' isn't that hard to figure out and is pretty paint by numbers. Also why Iris continues to live with her brother Jason after he beats her old boyfriend to death is never explained, which is one of the plot holes this movie suffers and the movie does suffer from a few plot holes but nothing that should keep you from checking the film out. So if you are looking for a mystery with a big surprised ending, you probable won't be too impressed by Reeseville but if you want a nice little mystery to watch on a rainy day then give it a shot, especially if you can get your hands on the DVD with the deleted scenes. Also if you are a Mark Hamill fan this is a must see!!

The summary was promising but watching the movie was a huge disappointment. Nothing happens in this movie. Plot is linear and without surprise. Normal characters stay normal until end of the film, weird characters stay weird until end of the film. There is even not a single tentative to foul the viewer into thinking that the bad guy is someone else than the most obvious candidate. On the positive side, actors play quite well, and there is a tiny bit of atmosphere in the movie, but much too little to be any significant.People who vote 10 for this movie either didn't see it, or are member of the movie production team ! 4 is well paid.