When I think of political thrillers, films such as City Hall (1996),
Conspiracy Theory (1997), The Manchurian Candidate
(1962), and The Good Shepherd (2006) come to mind. Those films
weren't necessarily bad, but they were all sleep-inducing at times. Edge
of Darkness wasn't 100% exciting, but it did have me on the edge of
my seat more often than not, and succeeded in being both a solid drama
and thriller.
After his daughter is shot to death beside him
outside of their home, Boston police detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) starts to
believe he was the intended target. While fighting back any
emotion over the loss of his only child, Craven goes through her
personal things and begins to contact her friends. He soon discovers
that her work at a nuclear research firm was not so cut-and-dry, and
that she had unearthed some disturbing evidence against the company
before her shocking death. With rich businessmen and politicians
involved, not to mention a high-end security consultant (Ray Winstone)
on his tail, Craven goes on a hunt to find out who killed his daughter
so he can exact revenge.
It's been almost 10 years since Gibson
starred in his last major role (2002's Signs), and his return as
a leading man in Edge of Darkness is possibly his best part
since Braveheart. When I left the theatre, my initial reaction
was, 'Mel Gibson is back!' His presence onscreen was powerful and I
sincerely felt for his character. This is a man who has just lost
everything and, where most films would have him turn to alcohol or make
him a complete mess, it's the way he struggles to hold it together and
his strength in doing so that is so affecting to watch.
In the
supporting roles, Bojana Novakovic (who plays Emma Craven) is great in
her brief part, and Danny Huston, as the villain Jack Bennett, is so
evil and cold that when he smirks and asks Craven what it feels like to
lose a child, it's enough to infuriate and make the viewer personally
hate him (it certainly did for me). Winstone's part was originally
intended for Robert De Niro, and while I could see De Niro pulling it off,
Winstone handles it with perfection.
Edge of Darkness is a
remake of the 1985 BBC mini-series that is considered to be one of the
most influential television dramas ever made. Both are directed by
Martin Campbell, and while the original had a lot more time to dig
deeper into the story, this version is well paced and very tight. There
are also a lot of moments of shocking violence (such as the scene where
Emma is shot) that will downright give you chills.
While watching
Edge of Darkness, I experienced the same feeling I had when I saw the
soon-to-be-released thriller Frozen and last year's Taken.
To really appreciate the film, and the tension it carries, you
have to see it in a dark theatre.
**** out of 5 stars
Rated R
Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Official Site IMDb
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com
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Top image: Mel Gibson in Edge of Darkness. Courtesy Warner Bros.