5 out of 5 stars

It's grimy, dusty, frozen and soaked in blood.  In the new western, "Seraphim Falls," two men battle across the frontier.  One man is driven by his past and the other is haunted by it.  Both men are on the path to damnation.

"Seraphim Falls" stars Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson in a testosterone-fueled tour de force.  This is a great example of a nihilistic western full of revenge and despair.  Oh yeah, it's also packed with some serious action and also manages to examine the psychology of it's two main characters.

Pierce Brosnan is almost unrecognizable and is as grizzled and manly as we've ever seen.  He plays a former Union captain being chased by his past and an unknown enemy.  Liam Neeson is his nemesis and he carries a burning grudge and thirsts only for revenge.  Neeson delivers another excellent performance to pad his long resume.  My only regret is that since this is a chase film, we don't get more scenes with Brosnan and Neeson acting together.

They aren't the only stars in this film.  Director David Von Ancken uses scenery incredibly well.  He and cinematographer John Toll make the most of the landscape, composing it in a way which almost gives it life.  Don't let the snow-capped mountains, raging rivers, vast prairies or parched lake beds fool you.  This is not the romantic vision of the west we saw a few years ago in Kevin Costner's "Open Range."  This is the old west in which the land is an impediment and obstacle.  It's beautifully captured and is breathtaking, but it's also deadly.

If you look around, you're going to read a lot of reviews which are going to complain about the film's final 20 minutes and an appearance by Anjelica Huston.  Forget those other reviews because they are full of nonsense.  The end does take a strange and unexpected twist, but if you think about it, it actually makes sense and I think it finishes the film beautifully.  It reminds me of some of the great cult westerns such as "Keoma," "El Topo," and "The Wild Bunch."  If you haven't seen any of those films then get yourself down to a good video store.

This is the western as it should be done.  "Seraphim Falls" has lots of action, great scenery, excellent camerawork and excellent actors.  It'll also give you a little something to think about at the end.  It's too bad this film is getting a limited arthouse release as it is very, very good and deserves to be seen.   If you're a Sam Peckinpah fan or love gritty westerns then "Seraphim Falls" comes highly recommended.  I'm considering this an automatic, first-day dvd purchase and this ranks with "Children of Men" as two of the best films for the beginning of 2007.

"Seraphim Falls"

Rated R