Previous reviewers have very ably and accurately described the plot and setting here so I won't recap them. What I liked about this film was that both the Liam Niesen and Pierce Brosnan characters are a very human blend of conflicting impulses. One thing that bothered me was the Brosnan character's otherworldly aptitude with the Bowie knife, which is never quite explained. There is a hyper realism to this film though it takes on a sort of allegorical aspect about half way through, somewhat reminiscent of the Coen brothers' work. There is a fey Native American who mysteriously appears at a waterhole and a "snakeoil" saleswoman (played by Angelica Huston) who also appears in the middle of nowhere....Like others have said, in the last 20 minutes things get a bit unfocused. Are the characters contending in some kind of purgatory? Or is it all literal? I was left a little confused. Overall, is this worth the watch? Definitely yes!

This film had good potential in the beginning but went nowhere fast. The story was week and the editing was poor. Pierce Brosnan's acting was exceptional but not enough to carry this trainwreck of a movie.

Both Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson have been putting in superb performances in their last few movies, and the first pairing of them in "Seraphim Falls" is proof that both are now genuine class acts - only getting better with age and skill. Brosnan is a revelation in Seraphim Falls (as he was in 'The Matador') just as Neeson was in 'Batman Returns', 'Kingdom Of Heaven', and especially his Oscar-winning turn in 'Kinsey'. In their latter years, each has acquired a grizzly realism that is serving them both well and their choices in movies.

The story is fairly simple - two ex Civil War Sergeants are locked into a Frontier manhunt in 1863 - the manhunt takes them from the snowy mountain ranges, down through freezing rivers and into open pilgrim-filled ranges, through homesteads and finally to a desert area that in many ways resembles both of them - arid, empty, drained and dry. Brosnan is the hunted and Neeson the pursuer, but we only find out as the movie slowly moves on, `why' Neeson is so obsessed with hunting Brosnan's character Gideon - and not just killing him either - but making him bleed and hurt as much as possible. It's essentially a cowboy chase movie, but done with such style and intelligence, that it grips you for the first hour like a Terminator that just won't stop. The support cast are all uniformly excellent too, but it's the two leads that hold it together.

The cinematography is spectacular and the look and dialogue given to both leads, just right. It's let down though as some reviewers have rightly pointed out by an odd last twenty minutes that in many ways spoils the great journey you just made with these two essentially good men locked into the horrible aftermath of war.

Very old fashioned in ways, but hugely enjoyable - I'm reminded of "Jeremiah Johnson" from 1971 with Robert Redford and "Black Robe" from 1991 by director Bruce Beresford ("Tender Mercies" and "Breaker Morant") - two fantastic frontier `story' films that are rarely seen, but worth every second of your time seeking them out.

Having sat through some truly appalling films of late, "Seraphim Falls" was like a breath of fresh air to me - and I wish I'd seen it at the movies. Recommended.

Why only four stars? This one is predictable, and as a result, is simply a good watch. The lack of suspense does not allow this one to be considered a great movie. This does not mean its a waste if you happen to watch this movie. Quite the contrary, its an enjoyable movie to watch. Get it and enjoy!!!!!!!

This is one of the best performances I have ever seen from both Liam and Pierce...they are both excellent actors...This movie was exciting ,the plot kept you guessing as to what was going to happen next !! I throughly enjoyed it..It reminded me of the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" with Robert Redford which was another excelent movie..Ms. Sparkee

This is an absolutely outstanding western. I say this as a huge fan of the genre and as one who has seen many dozens of westerns. I would put this in the top 5 of all westerns ever made -- certainly, of any western made in the last 30 years. Pierce Brosnan's performance blew me away. The film is beautifully photographed and the pacing is just right. I applaud director David Von Ancken for not resorting to using a bunch of fast edits or other distracting modern film "technique". He didn't have to, nor should he have, given the genre and the solidity of story and actors. The only weak spot was Liam Neeson's rather difficult-to-place "western" accent. But that is a minor quibble. Seraphim Falls reminds us why the western genre will always belong on the silver screen.

Promising, but as it nears the end loses the plot all together. The film is basically about Liam Neeson who plays this ruthless character called Carver who seeks revenge on pierce Bronson character Gideon. .As Carver leads a pose of men after Gideon through the old west to catch him alive . We as a audience do not know why there is such a tension between these two characters as the film unfolds you start to learn more and more pieces of the puzzle start to stick together. Some great scenes that will have you on the edge of your sit.

Basically if you starting watching this movie, I feel you will be pulled in to seeking the truth to what has happened at Seraphim Falls. But I do feel you will be disappointed at what you will find at the end of the falls!

I wish I had seen this movie before I bought it. I would have paid full price for a 100 more copies and then sold them at half price to poor people in Texas so they could share in the delight I have experienced since I finished watching it for the 73rd time. I will never watch another movie except this one for the rest of my life. One can only hope for a classic like this to come along in their lifetime. I'm going to get the picture on the cover tattooed on my cheeks and massive biceps. If I die tomorrow I will have lived a life far greater than any man or God........ now that I have watched this movie. Amen...............

By far without a doubt the best Pierce Brosnan movie I had ever seen. It took me a while to figure out the star was indeed Mr. Brosnan. I am not a big fan of the man but he sure starred in one heck of a movie here. I highly recommend folks to watch this one! A+

Seraphim Falls is a quality western that is a throwback to the many excellent westerns that came out of the 1950s and 1960s. In the Ruby Moutain range in 1867, a man named Gideon sits atop a snow-capped mountain by a small fire. Then, a shot rings out, hitting him in his left arm, followed by another shot that just misses him. Gideon is able to escape with a posse close behind on his trail. A man named Carver leads a group of five gunhands in pursuit of Gideon across snow covered mountains and dry as dust desert and salt flats. It is not until late in the movie we learn why Carver tracks Gideon down so mercilessly in a haunting flashback, maybe the best part of the movie. The plot line is pretty simple, two stripped down men, one chasing the other, doing whatever it costs to stay alive. Because you don't know till near the end why Carver is tracking Gideon, it makes the chase all that much more interesting, we WANT to know what drives the man. It's a pretty straight forward western with a strong cast, beautiful New Mexico cinematography, and enough action to keep fans happy. Not a great western, but with westerns so few and far between these days, enjoy this entertaining revenge/chase movie.

Looking at the cast, it's kind of funny that two Irish actors are the stars in this American western, but both Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan are very strong in their parts. Neeson plays Carver, the leader of a small posse who hunts down Brosnan's Gideon no matter what it takes or who tries to stop him. Carver is cold-blooded, but when you discover what drives him, it all comes together. Brosnan is fantastic as Gideon, stealing this movie in my opinion. Most of his scenes are Brosnan by himself which makes his role even better. He can only rely on himself with a posse closing in behind him. Michael Wincott leads the rest of the posse as Hayes, a hired gun just trying to make some money, Ed Lauter as Parsons, a gunhand looking for some easier money, John Robinson as The Kid, a young man trying to prove himself, and Robert Baker as Pope, an ex-Confederate soldier. The rest of the cast is primarily cameos, Angie Harmon makes a brief appearance as Carver's wife, Rose, but the best cameo goes to Angelica Houston, playing Madame Louise Fair, a woman who mysteriously appears in the desert to help both Gideon and Carver. Is she the devil or something else? I think the devil, but it's up to you to decide.

The DVD has some good special features to go along with the widescreen presentation of the movie. This is a case where the movie needs to be seen in widescreen to fully appreciate the New Mexico scenery. The special features include an 18-minute behinds the scenes look at the making of the movie with some excellent interviews with Brosnan, Neeson, and the cast and crew, and also an entertaining commentary with Brosnan, director David Von Ancken and production designer Michael Hanan. It's a worthwhile DVD for a quality western with a good cast. If you're a fan of westerns, or even if you're not, give Seraphim Falls a try!

Cowboy pictures, horse operas, shoot 'em ups - whatever you prefer to label them there is no denying they make for compelling cinema. I've long been an ardent enthusiast of them, as it's difficult not to be if you enjoy beautiful cinematography, engaging characters, and plenty of insight into the truly dark, cold recesses of human nature.

From the genre's very inception, the 1903 film aptly named "The Great Train Robbery, to the excellent 2007 remake of "3:10 to Yuma, there have been thousands of threads in the tapestry we know as the western. One of the more recent entries is "Seraphim Falls", a thematically poor but cinematically brilliant revenge film. With Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan as the two leads (as the Carver the hunter and Gideon the hunted respectively), you already know you're in for some great acting.

Despite having a moderately paced and quite exciting opening hour to the film, the plot begins to crumble amidst a barrage of derivative scenes and simply ridiculous actions. Brosnan's character emerging from within the carcass of a horse to surprise his adversaries has got to be one of the more absurd "Hollywoodisms" I've witnessed this year.

There is a scene, which was probably one of the more expensive to film, which succintly details what Gideon did in his past to spark such ire within Carver. It only serves to deflate the mystery surrounding their feud and comes as a huge disappointment. The fascination you're filled with during the beginning of the film turns into the pedestrian "you killed my family, now I must kill you" deal. The film would have been much more powerful and intriguing had they opted to leave any sort of explanation out.

Further, the appearance of Angelica Huston at the end of the film may be a bit too bizarre and surreal for some, as she is evidently intended to be symbolic of the devil. After her dealings with Neeson and Brosnan, in which she trades items with them, the climax is rendered effectively unavailing due to the hackneyed "you kill me" "no, you kill ME" conclusion.

All told, however, I enjoyed this film and it held my attention 'till the bitter finale. A worthy rental choice, and for classicist Western fans, a definite addition to your personal cinema library.

Dialogue 6/10
The speech is sparse and rough, much as it should be, but some lines are nausea-inducing with their empty machismo. An example being: "You can't protect anyone in this life, son, the sooner you get that the better." spoken by Carver.

Cinematography 8/10
This is perhaps the finest aspect of the film, as it's beautifully framed and diligently shot. Though it is a little jarring how the landscape suddently changes from snowy to barren in mid-chase.

Acting 9/10
Neeson and Brosnan are both first-rate actors, and perform brilliantly despite a couple of scenes guaranteed to make you roll your eyes (most notably the "horse carcass ambush" scene).

This movie could be called a dark horse, it's unexpectedly good. The cast makes an ordinary type of story better. Highly recommend.

The superb landscapes that work out as big frame for the dramatic human chase, along miles of cold mountains, wild rivers and snowy mountains will lead us to an unexpected final in which we will realize the painful backgrounds that led to this man to undertake a search of three years. The rest of the plot runs for you:

Pierce Brosnan has grown up as actor to unexpected levels; his abrupt dialogues with his ferrous hunter - Liam Neeson in a mesmerizing performance - are unforgettable. There's an underlying tribute to a fabulous film of Erik von Satroheim "Greed" in the final sequence.

"Seraphim Falls" is a powerful allegation against the thirst of vengeance,but also a heartfelt tribute to John Ford.

Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan play the hunter and his prey. Like most tradition westerns, it comes down to two men. Then this almost classic style western takes a turn into the Twilight Zone.

After an epic climaxing fight between our two leads, Characters appear (not to spoil this film), you need to see it to believe it. It seems so surreal that you feel like Rod Sterling is about to pop out of the corner of the screen "Only in the Twilight Zone)

Neeson and Brosnan lose their irish accents and engage themselves into this western. You can not fault them for the weird ending of the film

One of the extras on this disk is an audio commentary track with the writer, the director and Brosnan. Brosnan in the audio track says the ending is surreal..so if he can say it, i can say it!

As a western, it mainly is standard western fare until the climax. So it is average as best, so only 3 stars

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Being a fan of both Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan and revenge westerns, I was in my glory in this magnificently photographed and acted film.

The "Spotlight Review" by my friend, JP, and the Amazon synopsis give you all the information you really need, so I'll dispense with my own ramblings about the plot and just focus on what impressed me with this film.

'Seraphim Falls' is a beautifully filmed both in cold wintery forests and deserts regions. The photography is not a distraction by any means and, in fact, add to the telling of the story. Characters often appear out of nowhere as one might expect in a forest which can hide a village let alone a person. In addition, when characters show up out of nowhere in the desert it is much like the heat rising image that fools those into thinking a lake is nearby. It has a surreal effect in the film.

The action of the film is well-paced. The director gets the story rolling right away with no background whatsoever, yet we already identify with Bronsnan's character as a victim without knowing him. He even demonstrates a James Bond-like ability to get out of trouble coupled with the ruthlessness of Rambo. The action ebbs and flows appropriately for the story. It is no less than riveting.

The characters are extremely well developed, but done slowly over time. Liam Neeson originally came off as a sadistically obsessed individual who thinks of nothing but revenge (much like Javert in Les Misérables). However, his character slowly gives up his reasons and the more that happens, the more difficult it becomes to sympathize with Brosnan's character. However, we can't give up on Brosnan's character as the writer and director have already forced us to align with him from the start and see him as a victim. Even in the end, we still see him that way even though he did horrible things in wartime. Somehow the circumstances become understandable and even forgivable in spite of their horrific quality. Such would not be the case if it had not been wartime (Civil War).

Lastly, the acting in this story is first-rate by all, even those with smaller roles. Of course, much credit should go to the writers for taking a familiar story and breathing into it some new life with very believable dialogue and character depth not typical of this genre. It's great to see Brosnan, now free from "Bondage", really sink his teeth into great character roles. I think his post-Bond career is closely matching Connery's. To see what I mean, check out his performance here and in the smashing The Matador for which he was absolutely robbed of an Oscar nomination.

Naturally, very little more can be said of the terrific Liam Neeson who, except for a few missteps like The Haunting, has long proven his acting chops with films like Michael Collins and Schindler's List. He's suburb in this role and continues to show us how he can act in nearly any genre he chooses (consider Batman Begins).

This film is a feast for the eyes and heart. With only a mild complaint about coincidences and some contrivances 'Seraphim Falls' fails at nothing. This is a must-see and must-own for those who love this genre, and even for those who are less initiated in westerns.

This was a very different kind of western. It starts out with immediate violence but without an explanation. It actually takes a long time for you to begin to understand why one man is relentlessly tracking another. There is no clear good guy/bad guy - but if you hang in there, it becomes very rewarding. Over all, I enjoyed this film.

Breathtaking scenery. Hope to see more from this innovative -young director. Highly recommended to all western fans. Watch the extras on the DVD I found they explain the hidden meanings of this movie well.

Seraphim Falls is a movie about revenge. Although the movie starts out strong it goes south in the later parts when we lose the realistic, earth-bound and basic nature of the story to spin into an ending that strikes as being very out of line with the rest of the tale. That isn't saying what was done with the ending is bad, it isn't, it just doesn't belong in a movie where everything has been so basic and shallow up until the end and then the sudden change comes on too heavy.

To try and sum it up without giving away anything (don't worry, this movie doesn't hold any surprises though) you have Brosnan as "Gideon" an ex-union officer fleeing from something he took part in that he can't let go of. Pursuing Brosnan is Neeson as "Carver" a confederate officer who hates Brosnan with a passion and is leading a posse to kill him, obviously over the aforementioned event that plagues Brosnan.

The movie opens well and cranks up the action and suspense but slows back down and never regains that momentum again. As the story unfolds we find that both Brosnan and Neeson are at their core unlikeable fellows (despite the story trying to tell us that Neeson was a lovable family-man once we find it hard to believe that a man that treats the people around him this way now could have once cared about anyone). The movie is very predictable, as it should be, cat and mouse stuff, though Brosnan is extremely capable of defending himself though he rarely chooses to stand and fight. Given their nature, the limited script and the declining action the movie does start to drag on and when the ending arrives it has an overdue feeling to it. Ultimately the two are given the option to sacrifice everything for a last shot at revenge and the remainder of the movie is open to interpretation but I found it to be a bit unsatisfying.

As this film began, my interest was captured, it kept me glued to my seat, and I never moved for a good hour. The imagery is superb. The actors, spledidly cast. For the genre, it fullfilled all the senses. But just as you're riding along with the main character (Brosnan), you're feeling for him, you're rooting for him, and you're hoping he gets the best of his fierce enemy (Neeson), but you find out that maybe he's getting exactly what he deserves. He did a very, bad, ugly thing, and now you're not sure who to root for. This could have been a great movie, except for that one, final flaw toward the climax. Regardless, you will be entertained. It's packed full of raw, rugged action that will soothe and delight.

This was a very well done story an element of "Josey Wales" with, near the end, a bit of the surreal elements of "Dead Man". Pierce Brosnan finally got a role he could really sink his teeth into, though not one of my favourite actors, in films of real drama and scope (more so than the Bond films) is where his true talent and ability shines, he was fantastic. My favourite actors in the film are Wes Studi and Michael Wincott which was what initially drew my interest in it and I do wish Wes Studi had gotten a more significant part. Wes like Michael Wincott are highly underrated actors which is a shame seeing how extroardinarily talented they are.
This film presented a great story of revenge and redemption and needs to be seen a couple of times to be fully appreciated. The action was thrilling, the scenery was beautiful and the acting first rate. Not alot of films of this quality of story telling are out these days.

`Seraphim Falls' has all the elements of the archetypal Western you'd expect. If the movie didn't have any expletives and it weren't so keenly edited, you'd swear you were watching an old movie.

Taking place just after The Civil War, Confederate Col. Carver (Liam Neeson) has an ax to grind against his former rival, Union Officer Gideon (Pierce Brosnan). Taking a few men with him, he bears down on Gideon chasing him in the dead of winter through the unforgiving mountainous terrain of the West. With transgressions that only unfold later, the two men fiercely hold their own in a chase that both sides win on the merits of ingenuity alone. Encountering people one might expect: A log cabin family, Irish immigrants, an elixir saleswoman, and revival people; the results, nevertheless, are not.

One particularly distinctive scene shows Gideon frozen, bleeding, and out of breath. A departure from vintage Westerns, we really see his ordeal as he numbly, yet urgently builds a fire, removes a bullet, and cauterizes a wound that only leaves a trail of blood. It's done so believably that we can't help but feel his agony.

With great performances by both Neeson and Brosnan, 'Seraphim Falls' is one compelling Western ride. The palpable vengeance is convincing, and the chase brings considerable tension throughout. Even containing familiar elements, the variations are often done in a startlingly different way.

THIS IS A LOST MASTERPIECE ITS LIKE THREE MOVIES IN ONE. A REVENGE MOVIE A SURVIVAL FILM AND THEN A MOVIE ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND HOW IT CAN SET YOU FREE.PIERCE BROSSNAN IS LIKE A UNION ARMY NINJA WITH HIS FIGHTING SKILLS AT THE BEGINNING LOTS OF VIOLENCE AND ACTION.BUT AT THE END OF THE IT GETS REALLY METAPHORICAL AND DEEP.I KNOW THIS MOVIE DIDNT DO WELL AT THE BOX OFFICE BUT IT WILL HAVE A GREAT SHELF LIFE.JUST REMEMBER WATER IS LIFE WEAPONS ARE DEATH YOU MAKE THE CHOICE.

The set-up for a suspenseful and good movie was there, but then there is no real suspense.The switch of the both main characters from good guy to bad guy and vice-versa is not very convincing. No real suspense, bad ending. It`s not a movie I would watch for a second time.

"Seraphim Falls" was the worst movie I've ever seen. It was an absolute waste of 2 hours of my life, a waste of good oxygen from the actors, and a waste of ink for the script.

Brosnan has been good in most everything I have ever seen him in. Liam Neeson is also an accomplished actor. This was clearly their poorest effort ever. However, they did the best they could on this horse dropping.

Bad writing makes for a bad movie. This was some dimwit's idea of a sophisticated character piece searching endlessly for a point.

I don't know where Brosnan's character was going when chased by Neeson. Heck, I don't even know what happened to either one of them at the end. In fact, the movie was so bad, I don't even care.

Several horses died in the movie. From the script, it would appear they died of thirst. In reality, they were just bored too.

I love a great Western. I even love a poor Western. This is somewhere way below that.

If you want to see Pierce Brosnan, grab a Bond film. It is much more sophisticated fare than this. If you want to see Liam Neeson speaking American slang, purchase a copy of "Next of Kin." Whatever you choose will be more entertaining and thoughtful than "Seraphim Falls."

Come to think of it, this yawner isn't even worth the effort it would take to write a coherent review!!!

At first, it's very thrilling to watch captain Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) being hunted by Carver (Liam Neeson) and his posse. Gideon managed to kill his pursuers despite being wounded. The scenery was fantastic. Green trees and gray mountains were covered in white snow.

After that the movie became so ridiculously unreasonable that I felt extremely bored. Especially, when Carver relentlessly tried to chased down Gideon again and again and again even after he was spared from death many times by Gideon. Their fighting scenes looked ridiculously fake.

It's worth watching once to satisfy your curiosity.

"Quigley down under" and "The good, the bad and the ugly" are still the only films on my list of Best Western Movies of All Time.

Solid classic western from begining to end. Especially the surreal ending and the anti-war mesage.
Both men are at the top of their acting games. This is the best western I have watched in ten years.

This is an interesting and watchable movie, well acted and photographed.
It has a basic story line that strongly borrows from "The Outlaw Josey Wales", but the screenplay contains enough variations on the hunter vs. hunted theme to mark it as a different film from Eastwood's.

My only real complaint about it is that it begins strongly , in a realistic fashion, continues in this manner through most of its length, but then begins to unwind into something mystical and surreal as the end approaches. Basically, it starts to get weird. It's like the director decided to take a side trip through the Twilight Zone to reach his end credits.

It could be argued that the desert conclusion puts the two adversaries (Brosnan and Neeson) in a situation where the intense heat and lack of water makes them hallucinate and see and hear things wrongly: perceptions askew. Maybe. But the fact remains that from Wes Studi's appearance onward this movie starts going a bit wonky. And is the Angelica Huston character actually there at all? Is "she" real? Or is "she" the Devil? You almost feel the production is taking on a Rod Serling morality play form...wrapped in metaphor...there at the end.

"Seraphim Falls" left this reviewer largely unsatisfied with its ending. but mostly pleased with the 85% of it preceeding that.

Give it a shot. Its an entertaining enough effort.

It is amazing to me that this movie has managed to recieve an average rating above 1 star (deserves a zero). It's a complete mess from beginning to end. Gideon (Brosnan) and Carver (Neeson) are both unlikeable characters, and the actors play their roles with phony Western overstatement. Brosnan is so unbelievable as his character, it is laughable.

The plot is a grinding, plodding, so-what sort of scenario in which Gideon and Carver are supposed to encounter some intersting folks along their journey and end up in a climactic face-off with each other (yawn). The only things they come across are foolish actors struggling through poorly written parts, including Anjelica Huston who shows up out of nowhere in the desert in a nonsensical cameo.

To compare this movie favorably to "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is a crime. Where "..Josey.." has charm, suspense, pathos, and a boat load of great characters, "Seraphim.." has nothing to offer - NOTHING.

I liked this western as it was action packed and suspenseful from the git go. I got a bit of a chuckle that the two post-Civil War characters in this wild, wild American west film were Irish-born Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan . I'd never seen the dapper Pierce look grizzly and bedraggled before and definitely enjoyed him in his efficient, survivalist character. I was aware of the lack of Liam's Irish brogue as if it took much of his attention to speak like a western cowboy. It had beautiful cinematography but the ending was just okay.

It is not what you would expect from a western/revenges story. Very poetic and more than a little abstract in an existential way. The directing/photography is beautiful.

***1/2

Written by Abby Everett Jaques and David Von Ancken and directed by Von Ancken, "Seraphim Falls" is a rough, tough, old-fashioned western set on the dusty plains and snow-covered mountains of western Nevada. The plot is little more than a straightforward revenge tale involving Liam Neeson (sans Southern accent) as a sadistic Rebel army colonel who hires a posse to track down the marauding Union officer he believes slaughtered his family in the days following the Civil War. The officer, played with steely-eyed determination by Pierce Brosnan, is a savvy, quick-on-the-draw survivalist who, through sheer ingenuity and skill, stymies and outwits the colonel and his men at every turn.

What "Seraphim Falls" lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in grit and style. For even though there isn't a great deal of depth to the characters, there's much pleasure to be derived from merely watching two actors of the caliber of Neeson and Brosnan squaring off in a grueling game of cat-and-mouse played out in a punishing, unforgiving landscape. Brosnan's character achieves an almost Superman-like quality as he stays one step ahead of his pursuers, devising ever-more elaborate means of ensnaring them in his traps. The movie takes a decidedly metaphysical turn in its closing stretches, with the divine Anjelica Huston, no less, appearing out of nowhere as a desert apparition to set the boys straight on a few eternal verities like redemption and forgiveness. But it is as a simple tale of vengeance and obsession that "Seraphim Falls" most captures our imagination and interest.

Terrific performances by Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson raise Seraphim Falls to near classic status among films of the western genre. Driven by the will to survive and unrelenting vengeance, these two veteran actors completely discard their personas as screen heroes and battle each other through snowy mountains, unforgiving parched deserts, and an unmerciful high plains landscape to see who can kill each other first. Neeson and his henchmen are the pursuers and Brosnan is the pursued, who both play out their drama of savagery in a surprisingly labyrinthine plot guaranteed to keep the viewer perched on the seat's edge. What drives Neeson so compellingly to want to do away with Brosnan? The audience finally discovers the existence of a brutal incident that happened in the shared past of the two men. Long ago, the incident became a searing fire stoking Neeson's wrath. The film has a well-conceived ending offering a strong message about the folly and self-devastation resulting from all-consuming vengeance and savagery. Against this grim plotline, the movie offers some of the most stunning cinematography imaginable. Comparable to "Shane" in its beauty. A film to see!!!

Any film with an opening half hour as great as this may inevitably seem like a let down when it draws to a close. Still, this is the best new Western in years. Liam's accent is a little off, but Pierce delivers an outstanding, almost animalistic performance. This should have been a hit.

I'm not particularly a fan of the Western genre, but I am a fan of actor Liam Neeson, which is why I gave this film a try. I'm glad I did. The scenery is outstanding and just gorgeous to look at. Both of the lead actors, Neeson and Pierce Brosnan are very good. I've always thought of Brosnan as kind of a pretty boy, but not in this movie. In fact, it's even a bit hard to recognise him. The viewer can't help but pull for Brosnan's character as the hunted man. However, when we finally learn what exactly happened to put Neesons' character on his quest for revenge, we fully understand his actions and he emerges as much more sympathetic, whether or not you believe his actions are justified. I also thought it was interesting the way the director went from hard reality to scenes toward the end that were almost surreal, specifically the Native American at the stream and the lady trader who just happens to be traveling across the desert at exactly the right time to put the final events into motion. I don't know where this movie ranks in terms of great Western films, but I certainly enjoyed it.

This movie really deserves 10 stars! Awesome scenery and fantastic directing/writing. Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) is a formidable foe for Carver (Liam Neeson), a man seeking revenge three years after the Civil War. 'War is Hell' is an understatement in this story of two men with emotional scars from the war and everything it has taken from them struggling to just keep going. Unable to put their pasts behind, they take their hatred and anger out on one another. The intensity of the action is constant as Gideon runs for his life, adept at killing anyone intending harm if they get too close to him. Both men leave a trail of blood. How much will they spill before putting an end to their personal war?

Chrissy K. McVay - Author