Seraphim Falls - 2006

Icon Productions

Directed by David Van Ancken

Cast:

• Carver – Liam Neeson
• Gideon – Pierce Brosnan
• Hayes – Michael Wincott
• Railroad Foreman – Xander Berkeley
• Minister Abraham – Tom Noonan
• Parsons – Ed Lauter
• Henry – Kevin J. O'Connor
• Kid – John Robinson
• Madame Louise – Angelica Huston
• Rose – Angie Harmon
• Charon – Wes Studi

Story: It is three years after the end of the Civil War. Carver, a former Confederate officer, is on a manhunt. He is chasing Gideon, a former Union officer, the man he holds responsible for the death of his wife and family. His four hired guns are warned not to kill him, aim for his limbs only. But capturing Gideon proves a bit more complicated than it would appear. He is a highly resourceful man, able to live in the wild. Along the way, they encounter homesteaders, traders, robbers, and a railroad crew, and while several times it appears Gideon is at the end of his rope, he manages to escape. Carver is driven by pure revenge, Gideon by pure survival. Who will win in the end?

Review: A morality play with two Irishmen as Civil War soldiers? As improbable as that may seen, this film opens quickly with a pursuit through the snowy mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains and continues across to the desert. Liam Neeson portrays Carver, a former Confederate officer who had returned to his wife and family and put away his uniform, only to be discovered by the Union, who sent Gideon (played by Pierce Bronson) to arrest him. After a series of unfortunate mistakes, Carver's wife and family are burned alive in their home while Gideon watches helplessly. Bronson's performance is a man running from an unspeakable horror and his part in it, Neeson's performance is the man who has allowed revenge to consume him. The remainder of the cast is solid in their performances. Angelica Huston and Wes Studi have interesting roles as surreal traders along the way in the desert, and you have to ask yourself if they are really there, or simply the facilitators of this climax between our two subjects. Tom Noonan gives an exceptional performance as the minister who is leading a flock to better fields. Rated R for violence and language, this is a film that will intrigue the intellectual and die hard oater fans alike. Collectible if you are a western or civil war fan, or just like watching Pierce and Liam hide their accents.

Undisputed - 2002

Amen Ra Films, Millennium Films, Hollywood Partners

Directed by Walter Hill

Cast:

• Monroe Hutchen – Wesley Snipes
• George “Iceman” Chambers – Ving Rhames
• Mendy Ripstein – Peter Falk
• A. J. Mercker – Michael Rooker
• Jesus “Chuy” Campos – John Seda
• Mingo Pace – Wes Studi
• James “Ratbag” Kroycek – Fisher Stevens
• Warden Lipscomb – Denis Arndt
• Darlene Early – Amy Aquino

Story: Heavyweight Champion of the World George “Iceman” Chambers has a few problems. He's been convicted of rape, he's a high profile prisoner that no one wants, and he is one egotistical, arrogant ass. He's sent to Sweetwater, an isolated prison in the Mojave desert in California. Sweetwater is also where the current heavyweight champion of the prison system, Monroe Hutchens, is housed, along with a former underboss to Meyer Lansky, Mendy Ripstein. Ripstein is an aficionado of boxing, old enough to remember the days of bare knuckle fights. He is under the protection of La Emme, the Mexican prison gang. Through his connections, he sets in motion a plan to stage a fight between Chambers and Hutchens. Chamber's lawyers only want to get him out so he can start fighting again and make some money to pay his bills. After some negotiations, the date is set, and the fight is on.

Review: As boxing movies go, this is somewhere in the middle of the pack. The action is compressed into three or four incidents, with the story focusing on the characters. A considerable amount of the footage is about the “Iceman” the rape charge. Walter Hill uses a combination of flashbacks to relate to what is going on in the character's mind at the time. Peter Falk has that “mob” arrogance of the original gangsters, defiant even in prison. Rhames and Snipes are polar opposites, one brash and arrogant, one steely and cold. Michael Rooker plays a dispassionate head guard who realizes the limits of his authority. The characters are fleshed out just enough to become real. Shot at the High Desert State Prison in Nevada, a modern facility to house prisoners serving long terms and confinement problems, there is no question about authenticity of the surroundings. The cast performs well as an ensemble, and the film resolves well with the final bout. Definitely not for the kiddies, the language alone would do that, and a collectible if you love boxing, Wesley Snipes, or Ving Rhames.