Edge of Darkness
January 29, 2010
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone
Release Date: January 29, 2010
Connecting Dots and Crackin’ Skulls
Martin Campbell—who’s arguably best known as James Bond director extraordinaire—has done an admirable job with his latest work, Edge of Darkness.
The action/drama follows Boston Police detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) as he attempts to track down his daughter’s murderer. What at first seems like a tragic accident (as it is supposed that Craven was the intended target) actually turns out to be a complex affair that involves greedy corporations, corrupt politicians, hit-men, and the like.
Without revealing too much of what’s discovered over the natural progression of the story, I’ll say simply that it unravels in pretty much the exact manner that one would expect. Evidence is collected/discovered at precisely the right moment, and the dots are connected fairly rapidly. It’s a formula we’ve seen before, and, if not handled appropriately, can easily venture into the realm of mind-numbing boredom/predictability. That’s not entirely the case here, as Gibson adds a lot to the story by taking on a role he’s perfect for: that of a pissed off cop who’s got nothing to lose (try to envision a decidedly more serious version of Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon) with a Massachusetts accent and a haircut). It’s refreshing to see Mel on the other side of the camera for a change, and I think it’s safe to say that no one could’ve breathed life into Craven in quite the same way; his perpetual state of “stewing” is nicely complimented by the slowly emerging shades of a wizened persona who’s seen/experienced it all (including war). This helps create a protagonist we can believe is capable of surviving one especially hairy situation after another.
On the downside, even though there’s a great cast here (Ray Winstone appears as a slightly gentler version of Mr. French), the story—though capably managed—is, as mentioned earlier, entirely predictable. Even though I typically dislike movies that throw in gigantic plot twists, I think tossing a wrench into the clockwork on display in Edge of Darkness would’ve made the whole thing much more engaging. In fact, the movie seemed to indicate that some sort of earth-shattering revelation was looming on the horizon, and, as I munched one piece of burnt popcorn after another, I waited for and tried to predict what that epiphany would be. Alas, it never arrived, and when the credits started rolling I had the vague sense that I’d been swindled.
Still, for what it is, Edge of Darkness is a solidly made film. Campbell exhibits a Cronenberg-esque flair for hitting his audience with images of stark violence that feel completely necessary, and this helps keep us on edge during what is otherwise a fairly formulaic movie. It’s not really worth the price of admission to the multiplex, but it’s certainly a worthy addition to just about anyone’s Netflix queue.
out of 5
–Chris Flowers
Rated R for strong bloody violence and language.
Check out a trailer for Edge of Darkness:
