Seraphim Falls

David Von Ancken’s relentless pursuit western completely bypasses an opening credits sequence and cuts straight to the chase. It opens in the wilderness with Pierce Brosnan’s Davy Crockett character, Gideon, being shot at from afar. He’s clearly been through this scenario one too many times before and now we, the audience, are invited to tag along for the rest of the way. It’s a rollicking start to a conceptual, post-American Civil War story that simply never lets up. It transpires that his pursuer, Carver (Liam Neeson), bears a huge grudge over something that happened between them during the war, and here he is – with the help of a bunch of villainous hired hands – still on Gideon’s trail.The simple premise to this action-filled, occasionally gruesome cat-and-mouse adventure could easily have been written on the back of a postage stamp. Yet it’s to Von Ancken’s credit that he’s managed to make a film of it at all. True, the overweight middle section is repetitive, contrived and, well, boring. But at least the views are spectacular and Brosnan, especially, is likeably quirky. Some critics have expressed disappointment at the surreal ending, but I rather liked it.