THE MOUNTIE (S. Wyeth Clarkson). 83 minutes. Opens Friday (July 1). See listing. Rating: NN
I don’t get it. We have some of the world’s most gifted writers in this country. The Mountie is another meticulously made Canadian feature with a good cast, beautiful music and a gorgeous look. But it’s missing the central requirement of a great movie – a decent script.
In the late 19th century, a lawman with a past (Andrew Walker) has been given the lowly assignment of cleaning up a small town in the Yukon so the RCMP can build a fort.
Cossacks now rule the roost. How and why they got there is not clear. We do know they have their sights set on a mysterious gold mine and are running opium while waiting for the corrupt town priest (Earl Pastko) to tell them where the mine actually is.
The Cossacks come across as parodies, and Jessica Paré, who plays their house slave, is another two-dimensional figure, through no fault of hers. There isn’t a line of believable dialogue or a piece of the action you can’t predict, and the ending is ludicrous.
But like I said, lensman Rene Smith makes it look great, and original music by Ivan Barbotin is lovely.
Which makes it not bad TV material, and that’s about all. I’d say pity poor director S. Wyeth Clarkson, but he co-wrote the damn thing.
