Seraphim Falls

I caught up with this movie on DVD last night. If you haven't heard of it, it's a western that opened earlier this year in 52 theaters, where it didn't do well, then disappeared.

It's a pity, because it's actually a pretty good movie. The western genre is definitely in a lull with audiences; if a film like this can't do anything at the box office, then it's going to make producers a little more wary about trying to make other small westerns.

Not that this is all that small. It has two solid stars -- Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson -- who both do very good work here. The plot basically has Neeson and a small posse chasing Brosnan across a largely-isolated wilderness. It's an adventure, but it's much more serious/dramatic than fun, though it is a good ride.

The interesting thing about the story? It jumps right into the middle. So as we're watching the tale, we have no idea who we are supposed to be rooting for, for most of the film. It's an interesting idea: it makes one pay attention to every scrap of character info that we get, and it all pays off pretty well by the end.

If you like westerns, check it out. Though this one really could have used a better title; I have a feeling most people had no idea what the movie even was.