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SYNOPSIS:
Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan star in this epic chase and
primal battle set in the breathtaking landscape of the West.
The civil war has ended but Colonel Morsman Carver (Neeson)
is on one final mission: to kill Gideon (Brosnan) no matter
what it takes. Launched by a gunshot and propelled by rage,
the relentless pursuit takes them both far from the comforts
and codes of civilization, into the bloodiest recesses of
their own souls. Also starring Academy Award® winner Anjelica
Huston and Angie Harmon. It's been five years since the end
of the American Civil War. Somewhere deep within the snowy
mountains of the American West a lone figure - Gideon (Brosnan)
sits in front of a fire, lost in thought. Abruptly, he is
pulled out of his reverie by the echo of a Henry rifle and
a bullet puffing into the snow inches from his head. Instantly
Gideon calculates his one chance of survival. To leave everything
he owns and run for the cover. And so begins the thrilling
account of Colonel Morsman Carver's (Neeson) terrible revenge
- to hunt down and kill Gideon, no matter what it takes. There
will be many men dead before these two meet face to face,
and only then will Carver fully comprehend the full cost of
his undertaking. Launched by a gunshot and propelled by rage,
the relentless pursuit will take them both far from the comforts
and codes of civilization and into the unforgiving wilderness.
MOVIE
REVIEW
What are two craggy-looking Irish men doing in a
Western?
But
that’s nothing strange given that ex-Bond man Pierce
Brosnan and Liam 'Qui-Gon Jinn' Neeson are such consummate
actors that they easily blend into their roles as Gideon and
Carver respectively.
The
movie opens with Gideon trying to escape from the clutches
of Carver and his motley crew of bounty hunters in a large
vast snowy landscape. The movie spares no explanation as to
why Carver is pursuing Gideon relentlessly in the beginning
although some flashbacks later on truly help to establish
their motives.
"Seraphim
Falls" is brutal but not excessively violent. In the
end it’s all about survival in the post civil war era.
Whether it’s Brosnan falling into an icy cold river
or a cringing scene of him removing a bullet or setting a
bear trap for his hunters, Director/Writer David Von Acken
easily setup the tone of the movie. And with no fancy subplots,
twists or drama to spice things up, it’s a surprise
it actually makes you want to watch things progress further
between the two grizzled men.
Abandoning
the use of studio backlots to the far outback in New Mexico
and Oregon, Oscar winning cinematographer John Toll gives
a much needed boast to capturing nature’s beauty on
screen. The chase only manages to slow down towards the last
20 minutes where a devil-like character played by Angelica
Huston turns up in the middle of a godforsaken desert. Huston’s
character might be up for interpretation and some viewers
might complain the plotting being too minimal for liking.
The characters of Gideon and Carver could have given more
back story but that will surely dragged down the movie’s
pacing.
With
the exeception of "3.10 to Yuma", most Westerns
rarely make it to the theatrical runs here. For fans of the
great John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, "Seraphim Falls"
definitely deserves a run in your player. So what if the leads
are not Americans.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Commentary with Pierce Brosnan, Writer/Director David Von
Ancken, and production designer Michael Hanan –
In this commentary track, you will realized that the cast
and crew went through a lot to get things done in the movie
for example the waterfall stunt in the beginning. Also the
disturbing fact that Pierce Brosnan brought back the knife
he used in the movie for his son. Dry but filled with interesting
stuff at times.
Behind
the Scenes of Seraphim Falls - A 19 minutes feature
which covers the usual cast & crew interview and some
production anecdotes.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Presented
in anamorphic widescreen 2.40:1, the picture is slightly washed-out
and grainy in some shots but the lush cinematography greatly
makes up for it. Makes you hate the usual usage of backlots
and digitally-enhanced shots. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is decent,
wouldn’t classify it as aggressive though. Clarity of
dialogue is not a problem.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Linus Tee
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