More than a couple of people have been asking me when this movie was going to come out. Well … here it is. Should be available shortly.
Release Date: 19 February 2016 (USA)
Toronto Film Review: ‘Forsaken’
SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 | 09:04PM PT
Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland are cast as prodigal son and disapproving dad in Jon Cassar’s enjoyably old-fashioned Western.
Joe Leydon@joeleydon
If “Forsaken” were any more old-fashioned, lenser Rene Ohashi might have filmed it in black-and-white, scripter Brad Mirman definitely would have trimmed the F-bombs from his dialogue, and the entire enterprise probably would bear the brand of RKO or Republic Pictures. Refreshingly and unabashedly sincere in its embrace of Western conventions and archetypes, this pleasingly retrograde sagebrush saga should play exceptionally well with currently under-served genre fans — except, perhaps, for those with low tolerance for salty language – and likely will enjoy a long shelf life as home-screen product after potentially profitable exposure in theatrical corrals.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
TIFF 2015: Forsaken Review
Gala Presentations
When family members appear on screen portraying characters who share their real life relationships, something special often happens. We’ve seen it with Ryan and Tatum O’Neal in Paper Moon, Henry and Jane Fonda in On Golden Pond, and now you can see it with Donald and Kiefer Sutherland in Forsaken. With over 30 overlapping years in the business, you would think this would have happened already, and while they have appeared in the same movie before, this is the first time the Sutherlands have played father and son. It was worth the wait.
Forsaken is an extremely archetypal western. Kiefer plays a civil war veteran who, instead of returning home after the war, made a name for himself as a gunslinger. When we meet him, this not-so-young gun is attempting to give up his old ways and reconnect with his estranged father who he soon learns is being harassed by a local gang hired to muscle farmers off their land. You can guess where it goes from there.
The film flirts with cliche at times, while firmly kissing it on the lips at others. Much of it is predictable, but the biggest surprise is how good it really is, particularly if you’re a fan of the genre. Like the underrated Open Range, Forsakenisn’t trying to reinvent the Western, it’s just proving why the genre has connected with audiences since the beginning of cinema.
Donald and Kiefer bring the hard emotions when they’re required to, but the film is elevated by an excellent supporting cast that includes Brian Cox, Demi Moore, and Michael Wincott (who deserves more roles like this). Despite the film expounding the virtues of pacifism, there are very few indicators that this is a Canadian production, which is an unfortunate yet valid compliment.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Trivia (IMDB)
The movie was shot at the CL Ranch of Calgary, Alberta right after Discovery Channel’s Klondike (2014) had wrapped, meaning the town had to be quickly transformed from a booming city circa 1890 to a not-so-booming town in the wild west circa 1870.
Reunites co-stars Kiefer Sutherland and Demi Moore who previously appeared together in A Few Good Men (1992).
Reunites Demi Moore and Donald Sutherland after their appearance in Disclosure (1994).
Have to admit this would have otherwise passed me by if you hadn’t posted about it, I’ll keep a look out for this.
Not sure what distribution it will get? Might have to find it online.
I hope it’s good. We could use a good new western. It has been a while!
Lots of people have been looking forward to this one. It’s definitely a true Western, so maybe this will be your Western fix? I hope it’s a good one too.