Forsaken (2016)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I really enjoyed this. As others have said, it's a classic western in the tradition of Ford, black hats and white hats. I enjoyed watching Kiefer Sutherland change from an embittered guilt-ridden ex-gunfighter to a stand-up guy driven to protect his father and the townsfolk. The relationship between father and son was very well done, the scenery beautiful, and the music the kind that goes with great westerns. Worth watching more than once.

John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland) returns home after 10 years of fighting in the Civil War and then roaming the land as a gunfighter. His mother had recently died. His troubled relationship with his father Reverend William Clayton (Donald Sutherland) deteriorates further with John's disbelief and violence. John intends to clear the land for his mother. His sweetheart Mary-Alice (Demi Moore) had married Tom Watson. Land baron James McCurdy (Brian Cox) has been harassing the local farmers with his henchmen led by Frank Tillman and buying their land on the cheap. As the murdering continues, McCurdy hires another civil war gunfighter Gentleman Dave Turner (Michael Wincott).I don't know if father and son had ever been father and son on screen. They certain have it in their scenes together. The problem is that the script is mostly unoriginal and TV director Jon Cassar does not have that cinematic visual flourish. Along with the Sutherlands, the bad guys are excellent actors. I would like more Brian Cox especially in the first half. There is a twist with Michael Wincott at the end that feels fresh. Aaron Poole is good. There are some great actors here who elevate this movie from time to time. Even Demi Moore is functional here. Her worn out appearance helps. Overall, this assembly of acting talent deserves better behind the camera.

Forsaken is mostly a standard fare of classic western film tropes strung together to form a not so original story. Yet for hard core western fans it ends up being a relatively watchable one none the less.People here have talked about the grandeur of the cinematography in this movie though what we get in that respect is somewhat minimal and not terribly impressive by any western standard. If you're looking for a western with cinematography to appreciate check out 2015's The Revenant (the acting is far better as well), or even the most recent remake of The Magnificent Seven.I'm sure a lynch party will be formed soon after reading this, but I honestly believe the films' main draw here is the Sutherland father and son team. Regrettably I have to say, it's not that great of a match, at least not in this particular story.While I am aware Keifer Sutherland built up a strong following with his television success, he really doesn't seem to play this character to that credit and what we get from him feels closer to the character he played in the classic late 80s movie Young Guns, all those years ago. Not to take away from Michael Wincott's performance as Gentleman Dave Turner in this film, but I couldn't help feeling during the course of watching that he might have been more suitable for the lead instead of Keifer.It is simply the kind of clichéd story that just required a stronger lead (as well as screenplay) and perhaps some juxtaposed flashbacks of that lead's less civilized days. At least in this case.Overall, fans of the classic western style won't be too disappointed, but at the same time, shouldn't really be very impressed either and if they are they probably haven't seen enough well done westerns.IMDb doesn't allow 1/2 stars, so it bumps up to a semi solid 6/10.

Released in 2015 and directed by Jon Cassar, "Forsaken" is a Western starring Kiefer Sutherland as a repentant prodigal son who returns to his hometown in the Northwest after going off to fight the Civil War and afterward morphing into a notorious gunfighter. His mother's now passed away and his father, the town preacher (Donald Sutherland), has a hard time embracing him. Demi Moore plays his youthful flame, now married (the husband played by Jonny Rees). Brian Cox is on hand as the land-grabbing villain with his hired guns (Aaron Poole and Dylan Smith). Michael Wincott stands out as the southern Gentleman Dave, an honorable gunfighter.This is a nigh excellent realistic Western even though parts are too by-the-numbers and it clearly borrows from past Westerns, like the towering "Shane" and "Unforgiven." But it's different enough to stand on its own and holds some agreeable surprises up its sleeve.I like the subplot about the Civil War causing John Henry (Kiefer) to become disillusioned, falling into the gunfighting lifestyle. Kiefer is unexpectedly good as the protagonist, easily carrying the movie with the help of his father; the church sequence is particularly effective. I also appreciate the message with the romantic subplot, which is the antithesis of the eye-rolling events in "Pale Rider," a film that borrowed even heavier from "Shane" and could be called a total rip-off (or homage). I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was wrong, which is good.The movie runs 90 minutes and was shot in CL Ranch, Springbank, Alberta, Canada.GRADE: Borderline A-/B+ ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY *** SPOILER ALERT ***Someone criticized "Forsaken" on the grounds that it was a "low-budget Pale Rider," But there are significant differences between the two movies: John Henry (Kiefer) in "Forsaken" is a human being rather than a mysterious supernatural figure like the Preacher (Eastwood) in "Pale Rider." John Henry served during the Civil War, clearly suffering PTSS and swearing off killing whereas the Preacher appears as a sort of angel of vengeance with zero qualms about killing those who deserve it.John Henry humbles himself, allowing himself to get his axx kicked, whereas the Preacher is superhuman, always kicking axx from the get-go.As a human being, John Henry repents in tears in the church facility, hugged by his father, whereas the Preacher needs to do no such thing.John Henry loved the woman (Mary Alice) enough to not mess with her in any way and thus risk destroying her family whereas the Preacher has sex with the woman even though her kindly husband, Hull, is his friend and he's supposed to be an agent of righteousness (!), which is a gaping plot hole.John Henry doesn't want to take on Gentleman Dave, if he doesn't have to, likely because they're birds of a feather and he recognizes Dave's code of honor, unlike the other scumbag thugs hired by McMurdy. He also mercifully allows the young hirelings the chance to leave the gunfight. By contrast, the Preacher basically kills everyone linked to the villain without mercy."Forsaken" is real-life dramatic Western whereas "Pale Rider" is a mythical Western with supernatural elements.