Even in real life, who would risk making Mel Gibson angry? I mean come on...
Edge of Darkness
starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic
directed by Martin Campbell
Say what you will about the man’s personal life, Mel Gibson is one hell of an actor. I believe the absence of his presence in films over the last eight years has been felt in the industry; so naturally, the fact that he is starring as the lead in a new film is huge news. It makes you wonder what kind of film can pull the successful director out of the shadows and back into the lime light. Plus, the trailer for Edge of Darkness portrays Mel as the same badass we saw in the classic Lethal Weapon series. He’s every bit as dangerous, its just that the crazy part of the character is all off screen this time.
Boston police detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) is thrilled to pick up his visiting daughter Emma (Novakovic) from the train station and bring her home for a visit. Emma isn’t feeling well and requests to go to the hospital just as they get settled in for dinner. As Tom and Emma walk out the front door, a masked gunman fires a shot gun that blasts Emma back into the house. Unfortunately, Emma passes away. Tom assumes that he is the intended target, and makes himself apart of the investigation. However, odd clues keep popping up, including a loaded handgun in Emma’s luggage. Days later, a mysterious man named Jedburgh (Winstone) shows up in Tom’s front yard. He says that the target wasn’t himself, but his daughter. She had been tagged as a terrorist threat, and the implications are far greater than Tom ever imagined. With Tom’s focus realigned, he hits the ground running, determined to find the people who killed his daughter; after all, in his mind, he has nothing else to lose.
The overall direction, the look and feel of the movie, was just fantastic. After all, Martin Campbell is a master of the thriller/espionage genre; his directing work includes GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro, Vertical Limit, and 2006’s Casino Royale. The golden goose in the film though is Mel Gibson himself. Though he’s been out of the game for nearly a decade, he hasn’t lost his touch. His portrayalof a devastated father and enraged cop is spot on. One particular scene shows Thomas Craven washing the blood of his daughter off his face and hands; you get to peer into the soul of the broken man as blood-tinted water slowly disappears down the drain. Its a terrific example of not only Campbell’s directing prowess, but the acting chops of who once was Hollywood’s top leading man. No one could have played this role except Mel, and I hope that this performance marks his return to the screen. He still has some mileage left in him yet.
The plot is solid and simple, but not really strong. The character of Jedburgh is almost an after thought; the character could have been completely edited out of the film, and it would have all played out the same way. His scenes without Craven are nothing more than distraction, and almost lack a sense of purpose. Most of his scenes simply don’t add to the over all film. Also, there are a few points throughout where Emma ’speaks’ beyond the grave to her father, and he speaks back. This is not uncommon in film, I know, but the voice overs came are uncomfortable and odd in the setting. Within the context of the film, it just didn’t work. Plus, and I won’t give anything away, the ending just didn’t quite do it for me. One part of it is nearly negligible, the other is too sentimental.
Long live Mel Gibson. May he keep his opinions of certain nationalities to himself, drink less, and star in many more movies. Overall, sure, the film is worth seeing if for nothing else than to see the man in action again. And don’t fool yourself; though it is portrayed as so, Edge of Darkness is not an action movie. It is more of a thriller/drama that happens to have action in it. Just keep in mind that the ending lacks punch, and the plot is not quite perfect, but it is still an enjoyable way to spend two hours.
Mad Mel: On the Edge
Even in real life, who would risk making Mel Gibson angry? I mean come on...
Edge of Darkness
starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic
directed by Martin Campbell
Say what you will about the man’s personal life, Mel Gibson is one hell of an actor. I believe the absence of his presence in films over the last eight years has been felt in the industry; so naturally, the fact that he is starring as the lead in a new film is huge news. It makes you wonder what kind of film can pull the successful director out of the shadows and back into the lime light. Plus, the trailer for Edge of Darkness portrays Mel as the same badass we saw in the classic Lethal Weapon series. He’s every bit as dangerous, its just that the crazy part of the character is all off screen this time.
Boston police detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) is thrilled to pick up his visiting daughter Emma (Novakovic) from the train station and bring her home for a visit. Emma isn’t feeling well and requests to go to the hospital just as they get settled in for dinner. As Tom and Emma walk out the front door, a masked gunman fires a shot gun that blasts Emma back into the house. Unfortunately, Emma passes away. Tom assumes that he is the intended target, and makes himself apart of the investigation. However, odd clues keep popping up, including a loaded handgun in Emma’s luggage. Days later, a mysterious man named Jedburgh (Winstone) shows up in Tom’s front yard. He says that the target wasn’t himself, but his daughter. She had been tagged as a terrorist threat, and the implications are far greater than Tom ever imagined. With Tom’s focus realigned, he hits the ground running, determined to find the people who killed his daughter; after all, in his mind, he has nothing else to lose.
The overall direction, the look and feel of the movie, was just fantastic. After all, Martin Campbell is a master of the thriller/espionage genre; his directing work includes GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro, Vertical Limit, and 2006’s Casino Royale. The golden goose in the film though is Mel Gibson himself. Though he’s been out of the game for nearly a decade, he hasn’t lost his touch. His portrayalof a devastated father and enraged cop is spot on. One particular scene shows Thomas Craven washing the blood of his daughter off his face and hands; you get to peer into the soul of the broken man as blood-tinted water slowly disappears down the drain. Its a terrific example of not only Campbell’s directing prowess, but the acting chops of who once was Hollywood’s top leading man. No one could have played this role except Mel, and I hope that this performance marks his return to the screen. He still has some mileage left in him yet.
The plot is solid and simple, but not really strong. The character of Jedburgh is almost an after thought; the character could have been completely edited out of the film, and it would have all played out the same way. His scenes without Craven are nothing more than distraction, and almost lack a sense of purpose. Most of his scenes simply don’t add to the over all film. Also, there are a few points throughout where Emma ’speaks’ beyond the grave to her father, and he speaks back. This is not uncommon in film, I know, but the voice overs came are uncomfortable and odd in the setting. Within the context of the film, it just didn’t work. Plus, and I won’t give anything away, the ending just didn’t quite do it for me. One part of it is nearly negligible, the other is too sentimental.
Long live Mel Gibson. May he keep his opinions of certain nationalities to himself, drink less, and star in many more movies. Overall, sure, the film is worth seeing if for nothing else than to see the man in action again. And don’t fool yourself; though it is portrayed as so, Edge of Darkness is not an action movie. It is more of a thriller/drama that happens to have action in it. Just keep in mind that the ending lacks punch, and the plot is not quite perfect, but it is still an enjoyable way to spend two hours.