Seraphim Falls

It is easy to dislike a film that slows down during the middle to the point where very little is happening and for that reason, many people may not enjoy this film. Thankfully the performances kept my attention on the screen. The two leads are fantastic with Liam Neeson as the predator and Pierce Brosnan as the hunted. Brosnan particularly stands out giving a performance much different to what he has done before this. Right from the beginning you believe that he is trying to survive in the snowy Ruby Mountains whilst he is being hunted. Were it not for the two leads, this film would have been uninteresting to watch.

This is not an action western like 3:10 to Yuma, which is one of my favourite films I might add but is instead a drama that focuses on how far men will go to get what they want or what they will do to survive. Thats not to say that it is devoid of any excitement as the film starts off with Brosnan being chased through the woods and into the rapids. Without spoiling too much the ending is also gripping and concludes the film nicely.

The soundtrack for the film is great and works well with what is happening on-screen. While it may not be as rememberable as The Assassination of Jesse James, it nice to listen to as you look at the films fantastic cinematography. When they are in the cold mountains, you feel cold and that there is little chance of survival for the characters. When they are in the desert, you will feel their thirst for water.

If you watch the film expecting it to be slow and uninteresting, you will be surprised. Watch this film with an open mind and you will see that this is a very well made film boasting fantastic performances from the two leading actors.

With this film you have to take your hat of for Mr. Brosnan he is great in his acting, This is a movie that will remain as one of the greatest western films of all times and some sequences of this film will be remembered for ever I will not tell anything but if you see it(and you must) you will remember this.

It is beautifully shot and has a solid script, great action and deep emotions mixed along the way. If you like western you will not be disappointed.

When you watch Seraphim Falls you will have your emotions mixed as the movie develops and when the fantastic finale arrives you will be even more pleased. It has one of the mos original showdown finale I have ever seen.

This movie is a must see!

I rented this film without ever hearing of it before, and was pleasantly surprised...something which is becoming more and more rare in my movie renting experience.

This gritty, untypical western appealed to me on a number of different levels. The unusual casting of Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan intrigued me, their film presence was an enhancement without being a distraction to the film. The story was complex and minimalist at the same time, sometimes combining ultra-real and surreal elements. The cinematography is straightforward and beautiful, and a welcome relief from the jiggly camera technique, colorization, and other "contemporary" gimmicks that all too often nowadays cause technique and style to become a major distraction with the story being told. Thank goodness there are still directors that believe in having movies being filmed this way!

While the story grabs your attention from the very beginning and moves quickly, it takes its time in revealing who the characters are, and what are their motivations and the demons they are dealing with.

If you watch this with a preconceived notion of what a western should be, a la John Ford, Howard Hawks, etc. you may be disappointed, as some reviewers here obviously have been. I myself found this intelligent western - that is a little offbeat, with an element of mystery, and not always clearly defined bad guys and good guys - a refreshing change of pace from the racks of slasher film sequels, lame comedies, and Jennifer Aniston vehicles at the video store.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's a hunt movie, in the genre of Jeremiah Johnson or The Searchers type. Not gripping,then isn't supposed to be, but contained enough excitement and adventure to keep me fully engrossed. I thought Pierce Brosnan was excellent, almost unrecognizable with his beard and make up; poles apart from Bond. He really looks and plays his character as the quarry very well indeed. The locations photography, New Mexico and Oregon, are stunning. Liam Neeson never seems to give a bad performance plays his character well as the cold hearted, totally obsessed predator, He is well supported by a bunch of bounty hunters/villains lead by Michael Wincott.

Liam Neeson as Carver is hunting Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) through the wilderness of the old west, in this minimalistic western that takes place a little after the Civil War. Very well acted by all involved, and I found myself enjoying it quite a lot. At 2 hours, the film hardly feels it and is seems like a fast watch, never wearing out it's welcome (although coming close to it around the end due to the cameos of Angela Huston and Wes Studi, both parts felt forced and didn't jibe with the film in any way) Aside from that, if you're a fan of the Western genre, you'll find much to enjoy in this one. It's probably the best we've had in a good decade or so. To say Writer/ Director Ancken hit his stride here wouldn't be the right word (I've yet to see his short "Bullet in the Brain", but hear it's excellent), but it IS the film that really made me take notice of his talent and I strongly await whatever he has up his sleeve next.

My Grade: A