Seraphim Falls

Infobox Film
name = Seraphim Falls


image_size = 200px
caption = Promotional poster for "Seraphim Falls"
director = David Von Ancken
producer = Bruce Davey
David Flynn
John Limotte
Stan Wlodkowski
writer = David Von Ancken
Abby Everett Jaques
narrator =
starring = Pierce Brosnan
Liam Neeson
Anjelica Huston
music = Harry Gregson-Williams
cinematography = John Toll
editing = Conrad Buff
distributor = Icon Productions
released = flagicon|USA January 26 2007
runtime = 115 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/seraphimfalls/
amg_id = 1:327267
imdb_id = 0479537

"Seraphim Falls" is a 2007 film starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. It was written by David Von Ancken and Abby Everett Jaques and directed by Von Ancken himself, in his first feature film. The film was released for limited screenings on January 26, 2007.

Plot

The film is set after the end of the American Civil War. Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) is hiding in the American Rockies, contemplating a fire. A shot pierces the silence and hits Gideon, who is then convulsed in pain and quickly runs away, followed by his pursuers. Soon the audience learns why: Gideon is a hunted man. Colonel Morsman Carver (Liam Neeson), a Confederate officer, has hired several mountain men to trap Gideon so that Carver can avenge a terrible wrong that he once committed.

From the snowy peaks, the story descends into the savannas—full of rapacious traders, vicious railway foremen and overly-welcoming missionaries—and moves finally into the desert, where the two men challenge each other in the face of Mother Nature at her harshest, with surreal visitations (from Louise C. Fair) to guide them to their final confrontation.

Cast

*Liam Neeson as Carver: Like Brosnan, Neeson described being "kind of steeped in that western mythology growing up in Ireland."cite web|url=http://www.thecinemasource.com/v3/spotlight.php?id=438|title=Liam Neeson interview|publisher="The Cinema Source"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Snart|first=Stephen|date=2007-01-26] He likened his character, Carver, to Captain Ahab in "Moby-Dick", "he's [Carver] totally governed by this idea of revenge where he’s practically lost his humanity."

*Pierce Brosnan as Gideon: The role was originally to be played by Richard Gere but after he dropped out, Pierce Brosnan replaced him. Brosnan spoke of his love of Western films during production and promotion of "Seraphim Falls", which had stemmed from watching them as a child. [cite web|url=http://www.thecinemasource.com/v3/spotlight.php?id=439&wordcount=500|title=Pierce Brosnan interview|publisher="The Cinema Source"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Snart|first=Stephen|date=2007-01-26]

*Michael Wincott as Hayes

*Xander Berkely as McKenzy: A railway foreman.

*Ed Lauter as Parsons

*Tom Noonan as Minister Abraham

*Kevin J. O'Connor as Henry

*John Robinson as Kid

*Anjelica Huston as Madame Louise: Huston first joined the cast in November 2005. She appears as a vanishing con artist, who appears at the end of the film. [cite web|url=http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/seraphim-falls/|title=Seraphim Falls|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Snyder|first=Eric D.] If one watches closely as her wagon rolls away, you see her name upon the back as Louise C. Fair - Lucifer.

*Angie Harmon as Rose

*Robert Baker as Pope

*Wes Studi as Charon

*Jimmi Simpson as Big Brother

*James Jordan as Little Brother

*Nate Mooney as Cousin Bill

Production

David Von Ancken first researched the script for six months before joining Abby Everett Jaques to create the screenplay. [cite web|url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_11073.html|title=David Von Ancken Interview, Seraphim Falls|publisher="Movies Online"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Roberts|first=Sheila] The film was originally announced at the Cannes Film Festival with Liam Neeson and Richard Gere in the lead roles. Gere dropped out in August 2005 and was soon replaced by Pierce Brosnan.cite web|url=http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=8455|title=Brosnan in for Gere|publisher="MyJoBlo.com"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Sampson|first=Mike|date=2005-08-29] Shooting on "Seraphim Falls" started on October 17, 2005 [cite web|url=http://www.filmstew.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ContentID=12335|title=Brosnan Falls for Falls|publisher="FilmStew.com"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Umbach|first=Mark|date=2005-09-14] and actress Anjelica Huston later joined the cast the following November.cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117932712.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&s=h&p=0|title=Huston heads over to 'Falls'|publisher="Variety"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Gardner|first=Chris|date=2005-10-09] The film was filmed on location for 48 days, primarily in New Mexico; [cite web|url=http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2005/10/24/daily18.html|title=State approves two loans for Hollywood films|publisher="New Mexico Business Weekly|accessdate=2007-04-18|date=2005-09-26] some of the opening scenes were filmed along the McKenzie River in Oregon. [cite web|url=http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/01/13/a1.movie.0113.p1.php?section=cityregion|title=It's 'Sa-halie-wood' Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson are filming near McKenzie Bridge|publisher="The Register-Guard"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Palmer|first=Susan|date=2006-01-13]

The soundtrack, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, was produced at Bastyr University's chapel in Kenmore, Washington. [cite web|url=http://www.nwnews.com/editions/2006/060508/features3.htm|title=The pews are alive with the sound of music|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Wilson|first=Bronwyn|date=2006-05-08] Gregson-Williams wrote the music in three or four weeks, describing it as "very atmospheric". [cite web|url=http://pbfiles.t35.com/seraphim/articles-1.html#Cinezak|title=Harry Gregson-Williams Interview|publisher="Cinezak"|accessdate=2007-04-18|date=2006-07] Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll was responsible for cinematography work on the film. Toll later noted it was a "great opportunity to work with a director who was interested in visual storytelling." [cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/28/PKG7VLMKOG1.DTL&feed=rss.entertainment|title=INDUSTRY BUZZ|publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"|accessdate=2007-04-18|last=Hart|first=Hugh|date=2007-01-28]

Reception

The film gained average reviews with several praising both Brosnan and Neeson's acting. Kevin Crust of the "Los Angeles Times" noted that the two "make fine adversaries"; [cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-seraphim26jan26,0,3731132.story|title=Seraphim Falls|accessdate=2007-02-19|last=Crust|first=Kevin|date=2007-01-26] however, Michael Rechtshaffen of the "New York Times" thought that they were "hard-pressed to inject some much-needed vitality into their sparse lines." [cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003123121|title=Seraphim Falls|accessdate=2007-02-19|last=Rechtshaffen|first=Michael|date=2006-09-18]

On film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Seraphim Falls" has a 54 percent rating from 80 reviews, [cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/seraphim_falls/|title=Seraphim Falls (2007)|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2008-04-04] - indicating a 'rotten' status - while it has a Metacritic score of 62 percent based on 21 reviews [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/seraphimfalls?q=seraphim%20falls|title=Seraphim Falls (2007)|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=2008-04-04] - indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. As of April 2008, it has amounted 6.9 out of 10 on IMDB from 5,311 votes. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479537/ratings|title=Seraphim Falls (2006) - User Ratings|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=2008-04-04]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=479537|title=Seraphim Falls
*rotten-tomatoes|id=seraphim_falls|title=Seraphim Falls