Edge of Darkness ***
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Is it worth $10? Yes
Tom Craven no longer gives a damn. His daughter – his world – is gone, and as we’ve learned in “Death Wish” and “Taken,” vigilante heroes will break any law and bear any burden for the pleasure of revenge. That “Edge of Darkness” gets us to care about Tom, and root for him through decent action scenes and a suspenseful storyline, is our pleasure.
Tom (Mel Gibson) is a Boston homicide detective whose 24 year-old daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) is murdered on his doorstep. He doesn’t grieve because there’s no time to grieve. Mourning is for the weak. His focus is hell-bent on finding his daughter’s killers, even if it costs him his own life. And this is where the movie gets good. A lengthy career in law enforcement and healthy pension be damned, justice is all that matters. His boss tells him he’s not supposed to work the case, but he does anyway. He breaks into a suspect’s (Shawn Roberts) home. He threatens a corporate executive (Danny Huston) whom he believes is involved. He destroys public bathrooms. Oh yes, vengeance will be his.
Tom’s investigation leads to a massive cover-up involving the defense department, activists, corrupt senators, nuclear energy and more. He also meets a dangerous frenemy (someone who’s both a friend and/or enemy) named Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who may or may not be on his side and whose relevance to the story is questionable. Jedburgh is some ways is the movie’s moral center, but tales of vigilante justice don’t need morality.
Jedburgh’s presence also makes the story convoluted, as does the fact that writers William Monahan (“The Departed”) and Andrew Bovell take the other moral philosophizing a too far. There’s no need for overt commentary on government weaponry when all anyone is going to remember – and wants to see – is Mel Gibson kicking ass.
Thankfully, director Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”) never lets politics bog the story down, and he effectively allows Tom avenging his daughter’s murder to take center stage. After seven years behind the camera as a director, it’s nice to see Gibson give such a fine performance, though it will likely remind many of his turn in “Ransom.” More importantly, Gibson and Novakovic create a nice, loving bond in their few short scenes together, which gives meaning and emotion to Emma’s death scene. Intermittent flashbacks to home videos of Emma as a child also provide needed warmth, and smartly stop just short of being hokey and annoying.
There’s no denying that in real life wanting vengeance and enacting vengeance are two very different things. But movies like “Edge of Darkness” can get you thinking about how you may act/feel if your loved ones were suddenly murdered, and it is an ample revenge fantasy that evokes genuine suspense.
Did you know?
The story is based on a six-hour British television miniseries that originally aired in 1985. The series won six British Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTA), including Best Drama/Series.
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Ace1983
said:
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Baded on Splinter Cell Game THis is the same story that is used in the new splinter cell game. damn there is no originality anymore |
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