EDGE OF DARKNESS
LAURIE COKER'S REVIEW
RATING: C-
I oft? wondered when Mel Gibson would try to tiptoe back into Hollywood and audiences? favor. Unlike Robert Downey Jr.?s otherwise victimless drug problems, Gibson?s boozing came to glaring light when he went into some wild, very public and politically incorrect rant, which the media latch on to. ?Edge of Darkness? offers the material that brought Gibson out of his seven-year-long semi-retirement, a remake of a momentous BBC miniseries from 1985, directed once again by Martin Campbell. Gibson?s life choices positively show in his hardened, rough, deeply lined face and thinning hair, and his newest film, ?Edge of Darkness? shows an extremely tentative step back into the limelight and for me, while it has a few redeeming qualities, it is a disappointment overall.
Boston Police Officer Tom Craven (Gibson), a longtime widower, seems happy and content in his solitary routine, when he welcomes his daughter, Emma (Bojana Novakovic), for a visit. While old family film footage shows a close and happy father/daughter relationship, they haven't communicated much lately, even though she lives just a hundred or so miles across the state. Given the emotional distance, the visit seems curious to Craven. Still, he is glad to have her home. A short time after her arrival, she seems concerned and physically unwell, and before she has a chance to share her worries, she's dead. The two are standing on the front porch when a car rolls by, the shooter shouts "Craven!" and she goes flying backwards into the house, and in her torso a big, bloody (and really realistic), gaping hole.
The police believe Tom is the target- payback for some old arrest, or previous conviction, but this theory doesn?t sit well with Craven, who claims no one dislikes him, so he decides to dig a little. With some basic snooping, he discovers unusual items among Emma's effects, including a handgun and a Geiger counter. His curiosity grows, so never having met him before, Tom seeks out Emma?s boyfriend, whom he finds, nearly terrified to death in his apartment. There is a scuffle and Gibson, gets opportunity to kick some butt like we know he can, but not without Tom taking a bit of a beating too. I will interject here that I would have been even more disappointed (yes, I was disappointed) in the film had Gibson?s character has been written as a strapping super stud who can withstand blow after blow or shot after shot (remember the nine bullets in one of the Lethal Weapon movies?) and still kept moving like a youngster. To be sure, even with the rough edges and tough times showing in his face, Gibson is in good physical shape and he gives us an impressive distraught father, wanting to do what it takes to avenge his child
Getting back to the story, later when Tom explores her apartment, objects - namely, Emma?s personal computer ? have gone missing. He moves on to the place of Emma?s employment, a privatized nuclear testing plant, run by Bennett (a swarmy, sinister Danny Huston) and secrets, governmental secrets and his daughter?s too, begin to surface. While his fellow officers attempt to provide support, Tom, as many fathers would, seeks answers of his own and vengeance, and as it should be in a Gibson film, Craven goes a tad rogue.
Ray Winstone plays mysterious man and government enforcer Jedburgh, whose ambiguous role in the tale is perhaps the best thing about the film, at least for me. I will give Gibson credit, it is a nice comeback acting wise for him, but regardless of his commendable efforts and the pleasing interaction between him and Winstone, this vehicle is over long and over dull. Love or hate the man, Gibson makes this genre of film, regardless of poor writing and weak direction, he is watchable. Every bit of Gibson is on screen and the scenes with he and Winstone held my interest, but there were too few of them.
The film?s special effect crew deserves kudos for it amazingly realistic blood and gore scenes. Wow! While I don?t deem it all necessary, I do admire the quality of graphic realism in the exposed wounds and sinews of blood seeping and oozing from noses, chests, heads, and necks of victim after victim as the story progresses.
There are a few shocking scenes, most of which I predicted prior to the event, but not enough to hold my interest during the dragging moments, of which there are many. Rated R for graphic violence and language, ?Edge of Darkness? does demonstrate that Gibson is back. I wonder where he will go from here. Ultimately, I can appreciate the acting and visual effects and still not love a film and this is the case here. I am placing a C- in my grade book. Some aspects are very good, while the whole falls flat.
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LIZ LOPEZ' REVIEW
RATING: A
Mel Gibson is back! This is his first starring role in seven years and he portrays Thomas Craven, an experienced homicide detective from Boston in the feature film ?Edge of Darkness?. When asked if the years away from acting made a difference, Mel responded, ?Difference? I?d say yes. You will make difference choices. Every choice is different and time away helps with that.?
Based on the BAFTA Award-winning BBC miniseries of the same name, the film is directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), who directed the miniseries in 1985.
When Mel was asked why this film, at this point in his career, Mel explained, ?It has been a long time and it appealed to me. It has a nice feel to it, like the original. I thought to myself ?Can I bring something to it?? and that it was compelling, interesting and worth going back to work.?
Thomas Craven is a single father to a 24- year old daughter, Emma (Bojana Novakovic), who has been working in another city for a big corporation and comes home to Boston. Just when they are having their family time and talk during the dinner meal preparation, she doubles over ill and wants to tell her father about something. She did not get the chance due to the illness and as she and Thomas open the front door of the home to leave to get medical help, she is gunned down standing next to him.
The scenes that follow are tough to watch, as the camera is on his face, splattered with his daughter?s blood from the close proximity to her. Another scene follows when he washes his face and saves the washcloth that he uses to wipe away her blood. The scene that of the blood-tinged water going down the drain slowly is well done and symbolic, in my opinion, of the loss of his daughter.
The story takes off in high gear from this point on. Driven by a father?s grief, he does not take time off as most people do after the loss of a loved one. He is Thomas Craven, the detective on a mission to solve a murder case. He was clueless about his daughter?s job duties and is determined to find out what is hidden behind this tragedy. After having played by the rules during his career, he does not blink an eye to do what it takes to get the gunman.
Craven slows down only a tad when he finds an imposing figure suddenly in his back yard, Darius Jedburgh (English actor Ray Winstone). Jedburgh does not disclose all of his business to Craven, but he does state he is the one to ?stop you from connecting A to B? as Craven?s investigation progresses. Although he can shoot Craven, he does not and slowly reveals some sympathy towards Craven. Craven knows his life is spared and plows deeper as he discovers how deep the government and corporate involvement is as more and more people die.
Considering Gibson is a father, the question arose regarding his preparation for the film and if he did something special. ?Anyone with the loss of a child is never quite the same again. They begin to see their own mortality. It is important to pass on some values to your kids. It makes you more aware on many levels. The loss of a kid is the worst nightmare, so yes, one has to go to a dark place for this.?
Although this original story was created in the 1980s, the writers did well making it relevant two decades later. Mel remarked, ?It was adapted very well to the times now. I believe it is a harbinger or a social warning of where we might be headed.? The film is set in Boston and the director credits screenwriter Andrew Bovell for the idea. Campbell states, ?Boston is a city that is very English and Irish in terms of its roots. Originally we had our hero, Craven, from the north of England near Leeds, so it seemed like a perfect evolution for an American movie to make him Boston Irish.?
Overall, I do recommend this thriller that keeps the viewer engaged. I look forward to other three projects Gibson has in the works. His time off from the screen definitely stirred up the creative juices, and he did not spare his words to describe one of them. I just won?t repeat those words here.
?Edge of Darkness? is produced by Academy AwardŽ winner Graham King (?The Departed?) and his business partner, Tim Headington (?The Young Victoria?), and Michael Wearing, the producer of the original six part BBC miniseries. The screenplay is by Academy AwardŽ-winning screenwriter William Monahan (?The Departed?) and Andrew Bovell (?Lantana?), based on the original television series written by Troy Kennedy Martin.
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MARK SALDANA'S REVIEW
RATING: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)
Mel Gibson is back in front of the camera and attempts to kick some ass in the latest revenge tale titled EDGE OF DARKNESS. Based on the BBC mini-series written by Troy Kennedy-Martin and directed by Martin Campbell who also directs this big screen version, DARKNESS tells the story of Thomas Craven (Gibson), a police detective investigating the murder of his daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) who is in town for what seems like a social visit. Craven becomes hell-bent on uncovering the people responsible for his only child?s death and serving them an extra helping of bloody revenge.
In his investigation, Craven discovers that the scientific research and development company for which Emma worked is involved in some shady, covert, nuclear research. On the surface, the corporation appears benign but Craven quickly realizes that it is connected with some big money involving classified government contracts for ?national security? purposes. The more he digs, the more dead bodies appear, as well as some dangerous people attempting to protect whatever secrets this corrupt corporate entity is protecting. As he uncovers more facts regarding his daughter?s murder, Craven becomes the new target and may have dug his own grave.
Clocking in at 117 minutes, this film version of the 617 minute long (6 part) BBC mini-series does seem a little incomplete but engrossing nevertheless. Screenwriters William Monahan (THE DEPARTED) and Andre Bovell do a descent job condensing this long story and developing the characters. I have not seen the original series on which this film is based, but I am very interested in watching it for comparison reasons. Something does seem missing in parts. There is no mention of Emma?s mother or other family members. There is no memorial service for Emma either. These deletions may be courtesy of the above mentioned screenwriters, director Martin Campbell, or editor Stuart Baird.
The story does have some pacing issues with tension and suspense building in moments but then stalling in other scenes. The film contains some great action showcases, however, I would have liked a little more. It is great to see Mel Gibson in a role that is somewhat reminiscent of his Martin Riggs character in the LETHAL WEAPON movies sans the prankster sense of humor. Of course Riggs would be dead serious if his daughter were murdered right in front of him. Gibson, despite his age, does pull off this ass-kicking cop obsessed with revenge spectacularly and also does a great job portraying the pain that runs deep in his heart after the loss of his child.
The wonderful cast includes Danny Huston (Col. Stryker in WOLVERINE) as the truly evil Jack Bennett, the head of the corporation who will stop at nothing to protect his financial interests. Ray Winstone (Mr. French in THE DEPARTED) plays a very fascinating character named Jedburgh who is a special covert agent tapped by the government to follow Craven?s investigation and make sure that government security is not threatened. I loved Winstone?s cold and intelligent portrayal of Jedburgh; however, his heavy accent did get in the way of delivering some very cool lines. Bojana Novakovic as Emma appears very cute and likable in her few scenes in the film but is not used very much in movie overall. A couple of supporting roles by Shawn Roberts as Emma?s boyfriend and Caterina Scorsone as Emma?s friend Melissa both come across as over-the-top in their respective portrayals of frightened, possibly paranoid people connected with Emma.
Overall, I found the movie to be thrilling and engrossing; however, I think I?d like to see the original series because something tells me that version fills in a lot of developmental gaps. This condensed film version does work as a thriller and action piece. Still some of the choices, whether they were made by director Campbell, his writers, or editor, are questionable. The filmmakers left me wanting a little more but without taking up too much more of my time.
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