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Seraphim Falls

An art-house western that doesn't involve gay cowboys!
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: David Von Ancken
Runtime: 115 minutes

In what may be the finest true "acting" performance of his career, Peirce Brosnan plays a guy running from another guy (Liam Neeson) who is trying to kill him. Sound vague? That's because for most of the film, we (the audience) have no idea WHY the other guy wants to kill him. We're dropped into the middle of the story with no explanation or backstory. And it actually works. The lack of exposition lends a certain mystery to the action. Who's the good guy, who's the bad guy? In Seraphim Falls, much like in real life, that's not clear. And that makes it even more compelling.

Brosnan has shown a surprising set of chops in his performances and his choices since breaking free of the Bond franchise. I always thought it was a shame he never had a Bond script that was worth filming. It's clear from his recent work that he was a better actor than those films allowed him to be, and Seraphim Falls really lets that come through. Liam Neeson also gives a great performance as the man bent on killing Brosnan, but that's no surprise. And if you checked out the short film They're Made Out Of Meat, you'll recognize Tom Noonan from that one (you can find it somewhere on this site).

Long story short with no spoilers . . . Brosnan plays a bad-ass that makes Bond look like a pussy. A wilderness survival man, a killing machine. But also, much less two-dimensional than Bond, although you might not see that at first.

The scenery is magnificent. Mountains, snow, raging rivers, and harsh desert . . . it's what a mere mortal might dub a "visual feast". It was easy to get "lost" in the outdoor shots (which is the vast majority of the film).

The movie itself takes a strange turn near the end, moving from a fairly straightforward chase movie into true art house territory, but I don't want to spoil anything by giving you details, just trust me, it's cool. This is a movie you really should check out. It manages to be fun, deep, and arty all in the same film, but never in a way that pisses you off. Your "serious" movie friends will like it, you're "action movie" friends will dig it, it's just a damn nice little film that is more than I expected.