I am not the Robot Tourist

This film is supposed to make a political statement about striking a balance between prosecuting the War on Terror and denying the civil liberties, even unwittingly, that make our society worth living in.

I could really stop there, but I do have a few comments to make.

First. If you know anything about computers and networks, set aside your rationality for the duration.

Second. The plot twists are actually quite cool.

Third. Just generally suspend your disbelief altogether. This film’s sole raison d’être is to get US teens, and whoever else that is attracted to movies with big explosions, to think about the US Constitution and how important our basic freedoms are. I suppose it’s like Minority Report, but far more explicit in that it is actually telling you to think about real things that could happen today or tomorrow, rather than inviting you to possibly ponder the natures of justice and truth.

Eagle Eye is a good enough watch. If you're used to a little more subtlety it will grate, but just enjoy the ride and do have a think about the issues presented. Also, David Davis for PM!

Not that I’m really into women’s lib, but I think the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen could have benefited from shoehorning in another woman. The token one played her part well, but seemed outnumbered.

I’m not even going to attempt to make sense of the plot, or even critique it. Beyond the standard elements of suspense, all that needs to be said about the plot is that it exists and it is crazy, but it does just about work in the universe that is presented. What I will critique, though, is the mish mash of art styles.

Sean Connery is Rider Haggard’s Allan Quatermain, though you would be forgiven for mistaking him for Indiana Jone’s father. Naseeruddin Shah is Captain Nemo of a thoroughly over-the-top Nautilus. This Nautilus, along with the rest of Nemo’s gadgetry is all silvery-white and shining in a very positive and clean take on the optimism of steam-punk when used for good. With all the power at his disposal, his big white car and his bosun, Ishmael, he’s almost like a version of Batman.

Unfortunately, while the Nautilus is meant to stand out a from drab and dank Victorian-looking London, I thought it just didn’t sit well in it’s universe. Maybe it was the proportions, but although I recognised that it was supposed to look like a scimitar, not a traditional submarine, I didn’t really like it.

Then there’s Mr Hide. Again, I understand that he is supposed to look grotesque and barely human, but I thought his proportions dragged him just a little too far over the CGI-side of the continuum.

The plot has enough twists to keep the film interesting and the action is well paced, but I think that the principal creatives behind the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen actually care more about getting a new generation interested in classic literature, especially works like the Picture of Dorian Gray, et al, on which the main characters are based. I read King Solomon’s Mines and Tom Sawyer long ago, and while I can’t say I plan to read the other referenced works in the immediate future, I think after seeing the film I am more likely to get round to it.

My enjoyment of Seraphim Falls on DVD was somewhat impaired by two things: a trailer that couldn’t be skipped where Pierce Brosnan was doing an annoying Northern Irish accent; and a not-fully-widescreen 16:9 feature presentation, so be careful which version you pick up. Baww to Icon Home Entertainment. My views on the actual content follow.

Brosnan and Neeson as the two leads give satisfying performances and are well supported by all the other characters. Apart from one of the supporting cast there is an almost pleasing moral ambiguity to the storyline. The film starts without you knowing who is the good guy and who is the bad guy and never really answers the question either. You’re presented with two seemingly random men in the old West and even when eventually you know why one pursues the other, their roles are still not black or white.

My first negative point shouldn’t be taken too harshly and I haven’t seen it in proper widescreen, but in 16:9 format the film looked like a TV movie at times. Maybe with experience and more resources, the director may well have a strong future in film, though as I write this the IMDB says he has done many TV episodes since Seraphim Falls, but no features.

My main negative point is more relevant. Once the plot is finally revealed, you wonder why Brosnan’s character ran when he found out who was chasing him. Perhaps he wanted to teach Neeson’s character that life needed to go on despite the past, but I felt that the premise of the film was slightly weaker having seen the whole thing. Then again, it’s just a story, subject to the whims of the writer, and the plot does mostly work, and is actually probably stronger than most.

On a related note, a character appears in the desert to both Brosnan and Neeson, seemingly as a mirage. I think it would have been better if the viewer was able to see the reality, but especially if the character was different for each man’s encounter.

My final criticism, though, is about the making of documentary, where the director and at least one of the characters says it is an anti-war film. For the specific case of this film’s plot, the American Civil war was a brutal affair, but it was ostensibly an effort to end slavery and unite the states. Perhaps the world would be a better place with an American Confederacy alongside the Union, but put basically, the plot of this film is not a good basis on which to decide if a war should be waged. Rather it is a reminder that even the good guys might commit war crimes, so the cause had better be worth it.

Overall Seraphim Falls is worth watching. There are good performances, an interesting storyline and some truly fantastic scenery (the film was supported by the state of New Mexico). Certainly it bears comparison with Jeremiah Johnson.