Edge of Darkness
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Written by: William Monaghan and Andrew Bovell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic

It’s been 8 years since Mel Gibson last graced the big screen, and yet, somehow it doesn’t feel like he’s been away all that long. Maybe it’s because in the meantime he’s managed to direct two impressive and uncompromising films, and he also found the time to get arrested for drunk driving. Still, a lot of people have been talking about Edge of Darkness like it’s some big comeback, and they weren’t sure whether he had it in him anymore. Well, Mel definitely delivers, although the rest of the movie around him is not necessarily perfect.

The marketing left a lot of people thinking that this was going to be a Taken clone, but that’s not quite true. Based on a BBC mini-series from the mid-’80s, Edge of Darkness is also a political thriller, and not simply a straight up action revenge flick. Despite this potential misdirection, you may still find it to be surprisingly satisfying… assuming you don’t mind a bit of government conspiracy with your blood-soaked vengeance.

Thomas Craven is a Boston police detective who lives alone. When his 24-year-old daughter comes to visit for the weekend, she falls strangely ill, but avoids telling him exactly what the problem is. As they head out the front door to take her to the hospital, she is suddenly shot dead by a mysterious stranger right in front of his eyes. Craven convinces the police department to let him investigate, and in doing so, he finds out that she was in the midst of uncovering some high level corruption involving nuclear weapons at her workplace. Now he must track down the truth to finish what she started, and ensure that her death does not go in vain.

Edge of Darkness is directed by Martin Campbell, the same guy who did the original BBC mini-series, but who is also best known for doing the James Bond films Goldeneye and Casino Royale. Believe it or not, it does feel like a Bond movie in some ways, particularly with its world-threatening intrigue and evil corporation factor. Unfortunately, it also suffers from the same problem that most Bond movies do: you don’t really understand what’s going on half of the time. In the end, the most important details are laid bare, but the complicated path of clues leading Craven through his investigation do feel a bit nonsensical and overwhelming at times.

The other influence that shines through in this film is that of screenwriter William Monaghan (The Departed, Body of Lies). He is good at writing snappy dialogue for tough guys, and it is enjoyable to watch Mel spar with his adversaries, particularly Ray Winstone. It’s just too bad that Winstone’s character ends up being a bit inconsequential, and I never fully understood what his job was. Still, their performances are on the money, even if some of these exchanges are a little showy and tend to drag on too long.

It’s also true that action doesn’t come as frequently as you might hope in the movie, but when it does come, it is sudden and surprisingly brutal. The movie is rated “R” for good reason. This, along with the dialogue, is ultimately what takes the movie up a notch to make it a slightly above average film.

That being said, there are a couple of big problems with this movie that could seriously sway your enjoyment, depending on your taste. One is the aforementioned complexity and the fact that the movie really gets bogged down with exposition in the middle of the film. If you don’t have the patience for a mystery with a lot of dialogue, you’ll probably be checking your watch quite a bit. Personally, I did find that most of the revelations were interesting enough to pull me through some of the slower moments, but there’s a stretch where it really seems to lose its sense of urgency for a while.

More importantly, however, there’s a questionable choice that they make with regards to Mel Gibson’s character and how he deals with the loss of his daughter. Occasionally he has flashbacks to her childhood, and other times actually talks to her as if her “ghost” is right there in the room with him. Now I know how this sounds, and at times it does come off as a bit cheesy. However, they spend a bit of time early on building up his emotional distress, and as a result, some of these scenes do connect. Gibson’s acting manages to sell it, with the exception of the movie’s finale, which just goes way too far off the spiritual deep end.

In general, I thought Edge of Darkness was a decent thriller, with strong enough direction to overcome its flaws, and just enough guts to create some memorable moments. I do think it’s a movie aimed at an older audience, so if you’re just looking for a bad ass action flick, you might want to give it a pass. It doesn’t have nearly the same energy level as Taken, but it runs a bit deeper. Ultimately I don’t think it will fully satisfy anyone in particular, but there are worse ways to spend your money in January. — Sean

SCORE:

Recommended If You Like: The Departed, Payback, State of Play

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