Seraphim Falls (2007)

You won't be disappointed!

Crappy film

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

First of all I'm glad that there are new westerns coming out because I always liked that genre. When I saw it was one with Liam Leeson and Pierce Brosnan I had high hopes. But at the end I'm a bit disappointed. It could have been much better, but I guess it could have been worse as well. The actors are flawless, the scenery is great, the story is good but could be much better if there were not so many flaws. I'm not going to say what they were because I don't ever want to write anything that could spoil the movie. I think 6 stars is the most it should get. It's a nice entertaining movie but not good enough to be in my favorites. Anyways, I'm glad that they still make westerns.

The ambiguity of the characters is what made the film interesting for me. We don't find out until nearly the end about what really happened at Seraphim Falls, so any attempt at pigeon-holing Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) or Carver (Liam Neeson) as the 'bad guy' just doesn't work, even though both reveal aspects of themselves that verge on being outside the law. We know Gideon is extremely clever at eluding his pursuers, and it takes an iron will and stamina to suffer the physical abuse of the hunt. Carver on the face of it seems like the evil hunter, constantly reminding his posse that he will not fulfill his part of the bargain if they don't stay until the mission is accomplished. The revelation of the Seraphim Falls incident temporarily exonerates Gideon's role in that tragic event, nevertheless he recognizes his responsibility for what happened while in charge of his company. The sense of loss that accompanies both men is given additional resonance as each man is gradually stripped of his material possessions during the story, until both men are left to face their mortality with not a single thing left in the world. One is left with a sense that under other circumstances, these men might have been friends.

five men have been tracking another across Nevada for more than two weeks. They shoot and wound him, but he gets away. They pursue, led by Darkman, who will pay them once he's captured. The hunted is Gideon, resourceful, skilled with a knife. Gideon's flight and Darkmans hunt require horses, water, and bullets. The course takes them past lone settlers, a wagon train, a rail crew, settlements, and an Indian philosopher. What is the reason for the hunt, what connects Gideon and Darkman, other than they are both ageing Irish action Icons?Brilliant from start to finish, Seraphim Falls has great acting from the two leads, and has some brilliant cinematography, which makes the film a little more intense.Aided by the wealth of additional characters, Berkeley as a railroad bigot, O' Conner as the family man, Noonan as a preacher, and finally Huston, who could be a devil incarnate, or some sort of reaper, as the two head toward purgatory.And this is why the film is interesting, are the two dead come the end? Have they died by the time they Meet Hustons character? And where do they vanish to, does one go to heaven, and the other to hell?Its visually brilliant, and although there is not a lot of action throughout, its taut and Von Acken has crafted a wonderful movie.

I consider myself a bit of cinephile...yet this hidden gem escaped my attention for 7 years. I stumbled upon it tonight on a random search for things I hadn't seen. I was not disappointed.This is a tight, short, compact beauty of a movie. An acting tour de force (ironically between two irish actors in a western). This movie took in less box office in it's run than 'Taken 2' took in in it's first hour, but what a movie! The whole thing is very atmospheric, moody...you really feel for the two lead characters. Uniquely we never get vested in who is the hero and who is the villain. They both have redeeming qualities, and they both have their dark side. I never felt I was on either side of the equation, I just watched the story unfold without the obligatory Hollywood right vs. wrong, good vs. evil. It was a simple story between two good men and their past misgivings catching up to them. It's not the greatest movie I have ever seen, I didn't learn anything new, but it was a breath of fresh air in the era of cookie cutter movies. The ending was about as anti-Hollywood as I've ever seen.Watch this, you will not be disappointed.