The opening 15-20 minutes of this film are as good as I have seen for any Western or wilderness-based drama. Pierce Brosnan is fantastic as the man being hunted by a mysterious man and his team of bounty hunters.
The manner in which he handles the situation and picks them off one by one is of course, very satisfying and reminiscent of one John Rambo.
The story takes us through a variety of settings from snow-covered forests to the desert. First time director David von Ancken is probably a fan of 1950's western director Anthony Mann. Mann made a number of films with James Stewart such as Man from Laramie and Bend of the River where the landscape is used sometimes as a character, sometimes as a barometer of the mood of men.
The cast is full of seasoned character actors, many of them in roles that last just a few minutes, as the primary characters pass through their lives.
My only complaint was the last 10-15 minutes which started to seem surreal. When Angelica Houston's character popped up at the end, I honestly thought it was meant to be a mirage. Quite out of character with the start of the film. It looked like the director and script writer didn't know how to finish off the movie and certainly didn't want either of the men to die.
Overall, definitely worth a watch. A pity that it had such a limited theatrical release. Obviously Westerns are not considered great money makers and the studio probably felt it wasn't worth spending the money on prints and marketing. But honestly, a film with Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson deserved a better roll out.
The manner in which he handles the situation and picks them off one by one is of course, very satisfying and reminiscent of one John Rambo.
The story takes us through a variety of settings from snow-covered forests to the desert. First time director David von Ancken is probably a fan of 1950's western director Anthony Mann. Mann made a number of films with James Stewart such as Man from Laramie and Bend of the River where the landscape is used sometimes as a character, sometimes as a barometer of the mood of men.
The cast is full of seasoned character actors, many of them in roles that last just a few minutes, as the primary characters pass through their lives.
My only complaint was the last 10-15 minutes which started to seem surreal. When Angelica Houston's character popped up at the end, I honestly thought it was meant to be a mirage. Quite out of character with the start of the film. It looked like the director and script writer didn't know how to finish off the movie and certainly didn't want either of the men to die.
Overall, definitely worth a watch. A pity that it had such a limited theatrical release. Obviously Westerns are not considered great money makers and the studio probably felt it wasn't worth spending the money on prints and marketing. But honestly, a film with Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson deserved a better roll out.
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