Loses steam in second half, but still a good modern western
Added 6/9/2009
I watched this modern western as a double-bill with Stagecoach. Started out really great, but lost steam about halfway through. Pierce Brosnan goes a great job, as does his counterpart Liam Neeson. I love the fact that for the first half of the movie, you don't even know why Neeson is chasing after Brosnan and wants to kill him. 4 stars for the first half, 2.5 stars for the second half, 3-stars overall.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Rent, don't buy
Added 6/7/2009
Not even a great love of Neeson and Brosnan can get you through the agony of watching this film. It was long, boring and by the end you really didn't care how it turned out. A great disappointment.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Ughhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Added 4/3/2009
This movie shows a tough guy losing horse and gun so many times it was ridiculous. Story ends walking off into the sunset with no horse, no gun, no money, no friend just his conscience and his pursuer beside him going separate ways.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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A FINE WESTERN THRILLER LET DOWN BY AN AWKWARD, DISAPPOINTING FINALE.
Added 3/22/2009
"Seraphim Falls" is a unique take on the western genre, a chase thriller that takes the viewer from the snowy mountains to the harsh heat of the desert. The film is fine until the last ten minutes, with an awkward ending that leaves the viewer bewildered, slightly confused, and a tad disappointed. The cast do their best with what they have. Pierce Brosnan is alright as Captain Gideon, though I've never been a big fan of his acting. Liam Neeson, as always, turns in a fantastic performance as Colonel Carver, a man seeking vengeance on Gideon for the death of his family. The supporting cast, overall, does a fine job. Anjelica Huston, a fine actress, shows up at the end, playing a character that shows up out of nowhere, in the already-mentioned awkward and disappointing ending.
Overall, it's a fine film with good performances and fine storytelling that mostly make up for the head-scratching finale. If you enjoy westerns and chase thrillers, then "Seraphim Falls" might interest you.
Movie/DVD Grade: B
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Seraphim Falls. And stays down.
Added 2/2/2009
Being a big fan of both Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson, I eagerly awaited this movie to hit cinemas last year. However, with what seemed like a non existant marketing campaign and hardly any theatre playing the flick - I missed out on seeing this on the big screen. Having to wait for it to land on DVD, my expectations raised for what looked like a smart and essential western that featured two of my favourite stars. However, after finally seeing this film now on the small screen - I feel that the wait was hardly worth it...
Set years after the American civil war, the story begins with Morsmon Carver (Neeson) and a posse of trackers hot on the trail of Gideon (Brosnan). Why he is doing this is held back from the viewer (and only revealed in short flash backs), but we know that each man have a history with each other and that one is determined to capture and the other to escape. This intriguing set up is played out against a gorgeous backdrop with a well casted supporting troupe (Micheal Wincott and Ed Lauter are great) and again, the two leads are on fine form. Brosnan is desperate and broken, Neeson determined and steely. However, all the acting in the world and pretty scenery cannot make up the for the leaden direction and below bar screenplay.
Director David Von Ancken attempts a mish mash of concepts and genres that never really gel together. His western tries too hard on one hand to adhere to formula and on the other, break new ground. Mixing old school western themes and throwing in avant garde cinema stylings just bemuses and disconnects you from the chase - which this movie basically is: A chase movie. However, the script and director want to try and hide that from you with odd character shifts and disjointed sequences that leave you feeling short changed. Instead of being a rousing adventure film - it transcends into something else and what the screenplay clearly wasn't designed for. Its a shame really, as somewhere - a great movie is trying to get out. It's just that the film makers decided to go a certain route with it, and with that - lost the audience (well, me anyway!).
The DVD presentation is excellent. Cinematographer John Tolls' landscapes and scenery are picked up beautifully and director Von Ancken does have a sharp eye for the strange, even though he cannot seem to keep the pace up and allow the actors to do their thing. The extras are plentiful and well presented and on a whole the DVD is well produced. It's just a shame that the movie doesn't live up to its premise or stars. Rent before you buy.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Loses steam in second half, but still a good modern western
Added 6/9/2009
I watched this modern western as a double-bill with Stagecoach. Started out really great, but lost steam about halfway through. Pierce Brosnan goes a great job, as does his counterpart Liam Neeson. I love the fact that for the first half of the movie, you don't even know why Neeson is chasing after Brosnan and wants to kill him. 4 stars for the first half, 2.5 stars for the second half, 3-stars overall.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Rent, don't buy
Added 6/7/2009
Not even a great love of Neeson and Brosnan can get you through the agony of watching this film. It was long, boring and by the end you really didn't care how it turned out. A great disappointment.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Ughhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Added 4/3/2009
This movie shows a tough guy losing horse and gun so many times it was ridiculous. Story ends walking off into the sunset with no horse, no gun, no money, no friend just his conscience and his pursuer beside him going separate ways.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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