Although Seraphim Falls features strong performances from its cast, moments of suspense, and plenty of action, the film’s somewhat cliché plot and bizarre third act might cause many viewers to feel letdown.
Personally, I liked parts of the movie, but found myself hating it as the ending approached. Like many films to hit the big screen lately, Seraphim Falls seems to be a movie you will either really love or absolutely hate – which is sad considering the talent on the screen.
The film was directed by David Von Ancken (who has directed several television series including “The Shield” and makes his feature film debut here). Ancken also wrote the screenplay along with Abby Everett Jaques. The film has a great cast that includes Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Wincott, Anjelica Huston, Angie Harmon, Ed Lauter and Xander Berkeley.
The film’s plot is pretty much a straight forward revenge story (think The Outlaw Josey Wales meets First Blood or any of the Rambo films). The film kicks off in the winter of 1868 and finds Gideon (Brosnan) on the run in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. Gideon is a former Union captain, and he is being relentlessly pursued by a four-man posse (which includes Lauter and Wincott). The posse is being led by a man named Carver (Neeson) - who has hired the men to help him track and kill Gideon.
The chase takes us through the mountains, and gives plenty of opportunity for some classic western action (including a scene where Brosnan shows how handy he is with a knife). However, Carver’s reasons for wanting Gideon dead take a while to get explained, and are delivered through a series of flashbacks that are somewhat distracting from the chase aspect of the plot.
The flashbacks also make the film start to feel a bit cliché. Back in the Civil War, Gideon led his troops to Carver’s farmhouse – which resulted in the death of Carver’s family. Hardened by the event, Carver is now determined to get his revenge on Gideon and make him pay for his crimes (although Brosnan wasn’t as guilty as Carver thought). Now, any fan of the western genre is going to realize this plot sounds extremely similar to Wales, but that is ok. I had no problem with this aspect of the film. I enjoy a good revenge plot. Neeson and Brosnan make the most out of their roles and keep the tension tight throughout the entire movie.
My problem with the movie happens towards the end. Throughout the course of the film, Brosnan has been on the run, and slowly working his way through the posse members (Rambo style). It comes down to Carver and Gideon, and we have gone from the cold mountains to the desert. Here the film tries to get mystical with the appearance of Anjelica Huston (as a snake-oil vendor who literally appears out of nowhere) and Wes Studi (an Indian sporting a top hat and spouting mystical dialogue). It is here the film totally runs out of gas, and the story just seems to quit. We go from a film that was driven by revenge to some sort of western Apocalypse Now.
So what makes the film worth watching? Well, Brosnan and Neeson are excellent in it, and really keep you interested in the story – even when it runs off the tracks. Neeson’s character is full of hate and rage. Brosnan’s character is quiet, and seems to simply want to get out of the situation. He is the opposite of Neeson’s blind rage, but also seems twice as deadly.
In addition to the two main stars’ performances, the cinematography of John Toll (The Thin Red Line, Almost Famous and The Last Samurai) also helps keep the audience stay locked on what is happening on screen. Toll uses wide shots of the landscape to make you feel the cold of the Ruby Mountains (such as when Brosnan digs a bullet out of his arm in the cold snow). Shot on location in Oregon and New Mexico, Toll uses the landscape elements to help the actors sell what they are going through on the screen, and set the film apart from just another slick Hollywood flick. The movie’s scenery is beautiful to watch and at times will remind you of some of Hollywood’s classic westerns – such as The Searchers.
However, the performances of the cast and work by Toll may not be enough to redeem the film in the eyes of the audience. With me, it made me regret the ending even more. Again, I was enjoying the movie up until the characters hit the desert, but found myself just waiting for the credits to roll after that point.
The DVD is a little light on special features – consisting of a “behind the scenes” look, and commentary with Brosnan, Ancken, and production designer Michael Hanan. The feature is fairly standard and runs about 19 minutes. It has interviews with cast and crew where they talk about filming the movie, love of westerns (Brosnan discusses his love of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne westerns), and their characters. The commentary is a bit tech heavy, but interesting. It is also funny to hear Brosnan discuss how cold it was shooting the scenes where he is shirtless in the snow.
Overall, I would recommend Seraphim Falls to any fan of the western genre or of revenge flicks. It is clear that the movie is trying to emulate some of the classics from the western genre, and it does succeed on several levels. It manages to keep you interested in what is happening to the characters. Unfortunately, the film does lose its way toward the ending, but is still worth taking the time to watch.
Seraphim Falls is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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