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Edge of Darkness (2010 movie)
May 28, 2010
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Gibson Still Delivers Despite A Convoluted Plot
in the Movie Hype community
Rating:
+3
You know something sinisterly good is cooking when bodies start plopping up from beneath the serene surface of a woodland river in Connecticut, with what seems like the façade of a nuclear facility looming in the distance. That facility belongs to Northmoor, the evil corporation that serves as the antagonist of Edge of Darkness. They’re in charge of the nation’s nuclear stockpile, they say. It’s all under the jurisdiction of the President of the United States, they defend. Any accusations of nuclear weapons-building shall be met with the phrase, “Classified Information,” they clamored. And so begins a winding story of conspiracy, cover-ups and point blank murder, one that unfurls ever so messily in front of the desperate target reticule of Boston detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson).
Yet this conspiracy isn’t so much winding as it is full of harsh speed bumps. You get a sense of the movie’s pacing from the get-go when a happy-go-lucky father/daughter reunion quickly takes a turn for the worse before you’ve even got the chance to gather yourself. You knew something was up though—and your heart let you know it—when Emma Craven’s (Bojana Novakovic) nose started bleeding as she stewed her dinner plate before daddy’s home-cooked meal was even ready off the stovetop. Excitement right from the opening tip-off? I could get used to this, you convince yourself. Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it gets until the conclusion of the movie. Everything else in-between feels like drawn out filler that builds slight suspense without ever really getting out of the gate. You never really know what’s going to happen because the film doesn’t let you in on anything more than what Gibson’s character knows and learns as the movie progresses, but this means your thrill factor is only ever as high as Thomas Craven’s at any point in the story.
What this movie gets right are the transitions, or the lack thereof, between what are supposed to be quiet and comfortable scenes and the ones that shoot you in the face with loudly literal surprise attacks. While they may be cheap scare tactics, there’s something to be said about the way the film builds up tension prior to each and every one of these scenes. And there’s no need for a riveting musical suspense score, either; rising trumpets and deep shaking bass in moments of sheer anticipation do the job just fine. Everywhere else the movie is perfectly quiet, not including the surprise fright sounds that explode at you just when you’re at the edge of your seat ready to jump out of your own pants. During these moments, pacing seems just about perfect. You’d think director Martin Campbell (2006’s Casino Royale) knows a thing or two about pacing, but then you’re quickly thrust back into the waiting game that is the rest of the movie. To his defense, Campbell IS struggling to fit the story of an entire 1985 miniseries of the same name into just under 2 hours of runtime. A tall order, one that may have been doable had the length of the film been just a little bit longer.
Edge of Darkness gets you wondering whether Mel Gibson as Thomas Craven actually gives the movie its purported edge. His fragile portrayal of daddy going delicately mad, seeing hallucinations and hearing voices, at times having full-on conversations with a daughter that is decidedly nowhere in the vicinity is a very believable one. Craven is a father on the verge of a brand new haunting, and we get that. We feel the freshness of daughter Emma’s death with every desperately sad facial expression that Gibson sends across the screen, with every frantic movement he makes as the tragic surviving father of his own brutally murdered child. Perhaps Gibson’s ability to convey a raw, grittily broken parent with nothing to lose is the film’s most enduring strength.
As it stands, Edge of Darkness could have benefitted from more movie length. To fit so many layers of treacherous plot into the space between two standard DVD covers is a dangerous path to take, and one that Campbell barely makes it out alive from. The scheme-heavy dialogue is not for the simple-minded, but if you can pay attention long enough to pick up the convoluted story’s nuances and you’ve got the patience to stomach long periods of plot thickening sprinkled with pinches of shirt-clenching suspense moments, there may yet be a rewarding movie experience for you here.
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3 1/2 stars: A father's rage can be a very dangerous thing....
in the Movie Hype community
Rating:
+4
Mel Gibson is a fantastic director, actor and producer he is uncompromising when it comes to his films such as" Gallipoli"(1981), " Lethal Weapon"(1987), "Ransom" (1996),or his Academy award winning film " Braveheart"(1991). Gibson has proved repeatedly why he is one of Hollywood's best and most powerhouse actors, after having a career that spans almost thirty years Mel Gibson had seemed to slip into obscurity after making his two last films. One of them being the massive box-office success "Signs" the other the Vietnam ward drama "We Were Soldiers" both coming out in 2002. It seemed like Gibson had had his finally hour as a Hollywood leading man. Until it was announcer back in mid 2009 that Mel Gibson would be heading a new film called "Edge of Darkness” based off the 1985 television series of the same name directed by Martin Campbell who also directed this big screen adaptation which features the come back of Mel Gibson doing what he does best.
Martin Campbell’s adaptation of his 1985 miniseries, of the same name, "Edge of Darkness" is a nasty big, old truck that all gassed up and ready to tear apart anyone and anything that stands in its way. And that is exactly what this revenge/conspiracy thriller it rips apart the competition with it's deep rooted and emotional story of loss, love, redemption and sorrow Martin Campbell has hit all the right notes here and let me tell you this film is absolute music to my ears. It is like punk music mixed with the soft depressing melody of a beautiful symphony orchestra score this is a film that flows so beautifully and so gracefully that by the time it kicks into high gear you are already completely and utterly immersed in the dark and macabre world of Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson). Martin Campbell is a master at crafting careful and deep stories much like he did on The Mask of Zorro(1998), Casino Royale(2006) which is praised as the greatest Bond film in the franchises history and now the equally complex and even more impressive "Edge of Darkness ". A film so immersed in its plot and story and so deeply rooted in its emotions this film just does not take to the skies it goes beyond it and reaches the stratosphere setting a course for the stars.
It is one of the best films of 2010 so far and though it is a revenge thriller and audiences have seen it dozens of times before. I can say this much for "Edge of Darkness" that this film is much different from others of it's type It defies all expectations and predictions of the story dishing out twist after twist till it comes time for the explosive finale.
Mel Gibson is know for roles like this he made a career of playing revenge driven individuals such as Porter in "Payback" (1998), Tom Mullen in Ron Howard's "Ransom(1996), Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon(1987) and now Thomas Craven in Martin Campbell's "Edge of Darkness(2010). Gibson is like I said, uncompromising in these types of roles he does not give into just playing the part like it has played in countless other revenge thrillers. No. Gibson takes the roles studies it and makes it into a powerhouse of anger and aggression he turns into his role, his character and makes Thomas Craven stand out above many of Gibson's other character turning him into a stand out in the crowd and solidifying the return of Mel Gibson. The rest of the cast including Bojana Novakaovic , Shawn Roberts, David Aaron Baker, Jay O. Sanders Denis O'Hare, Damian Young and Ray Winstone in a fantastic supporting role; all deliver fine supporting performances in this edgy and dark thriller.
"Edge of Darkness” is powerful in its story, moving in it's portrayal of a fathers quest for revenge (how many of you wouldn't want to get back at the person who hurt your child?) and just down right bad ass. Martin Campbell has proved once again he has what it takes to be one of Hollywood's great directors with this film that is both a dark look at the nature of revenge and how sometimes some of our worst secrets can take us to the edge.
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A father's love
in the Movie Hype community
Rating:
+3
There has been much glorification about a mother's love and mother's day. Not much has been focussed on a father's love.
This movie is quite a disaster considering it's Gibson's. Too much talking, too little actions and slow pacing to be a thriller. Or is it really a thriller? Perhaps it's not. A drama I'd think is more appropriate. Oh sure, there are a lot of shootings & some car chasing, other than that, the only salvation lies in the love of a father. We see that constantly in the little girl that appeared at different intervals which reminded Craven (that's Mel Gibson's character) of his time with his daughter. I enjoyed those moments in the movie a lot. More than I had ever done before even though I'm not a father nor a mother.
Those are endearing moments which help the show gets to the end when again Craven is being reconciled with his daughter, presumably, he passed away too. Anyhow, I don't see any justice in this movie, simply a chain of mad events which unfortunately the young girl got herself into by being in the wrong company! Yes, she did her civic duty if I do understand it rightly.
One other scene I did enjoyed was when Thomas Craven woke up shaken from the nightmare right after his daughter Emma's death. Luckily for most of us, we don't see our loved ones or people we know died in such a horrific manner. However, the nightmare that someone has to go through after such a sight is seldom contemplated by anyone. I remembered when I was a young girl and saw a car accident somewhere near my school. I never did talk about it to anyone nor did I see it closely but it was close enough for it to haunt me even til today. So, I think it's safe enough to say that it's an ordeal that one having to go through such scenes as a daughter being shot in front of you. Most movies just move on to show the revenge acts while this one did an extra step. I'd have loved it more if it concentrates more on that than moving to exert justice by shooting everyone in the end! That's such a man thing ;-)
I'm a Gibson fan though, since Braveheart. Hence, it's still a watchable movie for me. It just is neither a thriller nor a drama. Ultimately, for me, it won't be much memorable...
P.S.: By the way, I tried google for some images of Thomas Craven and his young daughter, hardly found any. Prove my point that the movie has been promoted more or less for revenge cum justice rather than the human aspect of the film.
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3 ½ - Stars: A Father With Nothing To Lose is a VERY DANGEROUS Man Indeed...
in the Movie Hype community
Rating:
+3
The last time I was privy to a Mel Gibson film was “Apocalypto” when he was at its helm as director. The last time he was in front of the camera was in the movie called “Signs” which was a box-office success in some ways. Gibson once again stands in front of the camera with director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) at the helm in “Edge of Darkness”; an adaptation of the 1985 BBC series of the same name. The original was a 6-hour thrill ride full of drama and suspense, and admittedly, it is difficult to cover such ground in a mere 2 hour movie. To cut to the chase, the film’s translation is rather uneven but the strong performance by Gibson manages to keep it aloft and it is just fun to see the former “Lethal Weapon” star beat up baddies once again.
Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) is a single father and a Boston detective who is just so happy to see his daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) come for a visit. Later that evening, Thomas discovers that Emma is sick and when she is about to reveal her troubles a gunman just puts her down and she dies almost instantly in her father‘s arms. Being a cop and a father burning with rage, Craven and many others believes that he was the intended target until he begins to go through her daughter’s things and something feels out of place. Evidence points to her job in Northmoore headed by CEO Jack Bennett (Danny Huston) and a U.S. Senator (Damian Young). Craven is now bent to find the truth and satisfy justice using his skills as detective; that government agent Matt Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) has come to admire, Jedburgh was hired to clean up the mess but he ends up aiding in Craven’s cause. Beware a father with nothing else to lose….
“Edge of Darkness” is a film that carries the usual themes of government conspiracies, revenge, justice and power-hungry officials. There is nothing original to the movie’s theme, the bad guys are your usual corrupt figures that seemed hell bent on being almost inhuman. It is a good premise despite its unoriginality and such movies do have the potential to be an entertaining fare. However, I felt that the screenplay is oftentimes over-reaching in its intentions to cover as much ground as possible that the end result ended up a little cloudy and fails to generate the needed tension and suspense. I know Campbell knows how to direct a film of this type but the film feels a little episodic and the list of leads felt very convenient. I found it rather hard to buy into the fact that some suspects appear so eager to confess the truth despite the powerful conspiracy behind Emma’s death.
The film is also full of characters that drive Craven on his quest for justice and as expected they have their own motivations for whatever agenda they have. The film is also full of dialogue, as we see the main antagonist (played by Danny Huston) reveal his villainy. The antagonists seem too eager to play hard and be “villainous” in Campbell’s effort to emphasize their greed and indifference. It is not as if their motivations are hard to buy into, but the bad guys are full of cliché. The one redeeming character aside from Craven is the government agent Matt Jedburgh who appears to be so full of layers and whose motivations are his own. I liked the way he has this “I’ll be the judge of that” attitude and the way he digested those pills meant that he may be dying of an illness that he is seeking redemption.
Mel Gibson always puts up a great performance and “Edge of Darkness” is no different. Gibson is fantastic as Thomas Craven, his portrayal as the film’s lead is the film major selling point. His open-wound acting makes his portrayal of a grief-stricken father lusting for justice is very convincing. Gibson manages to instill needed humanity in Craven’s character by emoting the needed punch to the senses in the film’s dramatic scenes. I had no issues believing that Craven is a man with nothing else to lose; if you pay attention to his eyes, you see someone hell-bent on destruction and would do anything to get his way. I liked the occasional black humor injected into the film’s dialogue.
So how is the action in “Edge of Darkness”? Well, they are pretty well staged; they‘re no “Lethal Weapon“ but more on “Taken“ and “Death Sentence“. They are realistic enough to give the film that necessary grit and some visceral punch. The fights and the gunfights are pretty quick and intense; I also liked the way Craven makes his moves to outsmart those who shadow his investigation. Now, even though they were as entertaining as I would have wished it to be, it generates some small thrills but it couldn’t keep it up because of the manner they are spaced out (some felt like they were ‘fillers’) and some did open quite a few holes in the script. The film has some pretty bloody and intense scenes; the old-fashioned blood and gore manages to give the movie its needed ‘punch’ despite its dull moments.
“Edge of Darkness” is one film that could have benefited if it was even slightly longer by 10-15 minutes. It is a violent film full of grittiness and ‘punch’ but the script becomes too cloudy and episodic to achieve the necessary suspense. The screenplay just felt too compacted to cover too many bases; while some messages about environmental abuse are good, it just couldn’t get all its points across. Gibson is a movie star and while this movie isn’t the best one to stage a comeback, he does manage to keep the movie aloft with his performance. He is a great actor but even a great actor of his caliber can’t save a compacted screenplay and convoluted direction.
Recommended with caution, RENT IT First. [3 ½ - Stars]
HYPE LEVEL: Very Low
This Review is a Lunch.com Exclusive
HYPE LEVEL: Very Low
This Review is a Lunch.com Exclusive
　
　
　
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Facts
Edge of Darkness is a 2010 film adaptation of the 1985 BBC television series of the same name. The film stars Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone, and is directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Michael Wearing, who also directed and produced the series respectively. Edge of Darkness follows a detective (Gibson) investigating the murder of his activist daughter (Bojana Novakovic), while uncovering political conspiracies and cover-ups in the process.
In the US, Argentina, and on DVD in Australia and the UK, the film is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, which also distributed the unrelated 1943 film with the same title.
Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson), a single father, has been a Boston homicide detective for many years. His 24-year-old daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic), his only child, is killed on the front steps of his home. At first it appears that Craven was the intended target. He soon uncovers evidence that leads him to think differently, and decides to pursue the information at all costs. He learns his daughter led a secret life that led to her murder. He quickly finds himself confronted with a shadowy world of corporate collusion with government-sanctioned murder. In the process he collides with a secret government operative, Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), whose job is to clean up and hide any remaining evidence. Craven's singleness of purpose in finding answers about Emma's death becomes a transforming experience that changes his life.
Mel Gibson as Thomas ...
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Studio:
Warner Bros Pictures
Runtime:
117 minutes
Cast:
Mel Gibson,
Ray Winstone
Release Date:
January 29, 2010
MPAA Rating:
R
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