AS HOMICIDE DETECTIVE THOMAS CRAVEN INVESTIGATES THE DEATH OF HIS ACTIVIST DAUGHTER, HE UNCOVERS NOT ONLY HER SECRET LIFE, BUT A CORPORATE COVER-UP AND GOVERNMENT COLLUSION THAT ATTRACTS AN AGENT TASKED WITH CLEANING UP THE EVIDENCE.The good news is that Edge of Darkness (no relation to the fine 1943 war picture of that name) brings back Mel Gibson in front of the camera for the first time in nearly a decade. Although he’s grown creased and leathery and his thatch has thinned, the movie star who was Mad Max still has the charisma and gravitas to center a dodgy suspense tale and propel it to the finish line. Gibson plays veteran Boston police detective Tom Craven, who welcomes home daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) for a rare visit, then sees her shot down at his front door. Because the gunman shouted “Craven!” and because a cop makes enemies, Tom assumes Emma took a bullet meant for him, which adds considerably to his grief and pain. But as he looks into the life of a daughter he loved yet scarcely knew, he discovers she’d been preparing to turn whistleblower on her employer, a corporation doing unsavory clandestine things for the government. Craven starts having oblique chats with a philosophical Brit named Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who keeps turning up unexpectedly–in Craven’s backyard at night, say–always giving the distinct impression that he could just as well kill a fellow instead of schmoozing. Their strange rapport, like Craven’s tendency to mutter ironical asides as if in ongoing conversation with the departed Emma, is more intriguing than the conspiracy involving corporate skullduggery and a rogue assassination bureau. The bar for that sort of thing was set in post-Watergate days by Alan J. Pakula’s The Parallax View, and we’re nowhere near its cinematic elegance or pervasive paranoia. Edge of Darkness, based on a British miniseries from 1985, was directed by Martin Campbell, who also handled the six-hour original (and more recently the successful James Bond reboot Casino Royale). Campbell does decent-enough work–the occasional bursts of “shocking action” do shock even as we know they’re coming–but rarely exceeds generic requirements. For killing comparison among contemporary suspense films, catch Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, in which every frame unsettlingly conveys a world where disquiet is the natural order of things. –Richard T. Jameson
Rating: 
(out of 51 reviews)
List Price: $ 28.98
Price: $ 12.92
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Darkness
- A Darkness Forged in Fire by C. Evans | Literary Escapism
May 28, 2010
#1
Review by Terence Allen
Rating:
“Edge of Darkness was a sensation when it first aired on British television in 1985. Aired on PBS in the United States, it was a dark, brooding thriller that seemed destined for a big-screen version that would be found lacking in ways big and small. However, Mel Gibson’s 2010 version of the story still provides a lot of the sadness, bitterness, and intrigue with some changes that while they do necessarily improve the story, they don’t damage it, either.
Gibson plays Tom Craven (played as Ron Craven by Bob Peck in the original), a widowed Boston Homicide detective eagerly awaiting the visit of his only child Emma, who works for a research facility, Northmoor. Soon into the visit, Craven sees that his daughter is very ill. Just as he is taking her to the hospital, she is shot and killed. Being a police officer, Craven immediately assumes that the bullet was meant for him, but upon investigating further, he soon learns that she was involved in the illegal entry of Northmoor by a protest group looking for evidence of wrongdoing by the corporation. A conspiracy begins to surround Craven that includes Northmoor, a US senator, and a shadowy government fixer named Jedburgh, played by Roy Winstone.
Gibson is always in his element in revenge thrillers, and Edge of Darkness is no exception. His tears, anger, rage, and righteous indignation strike the right notes at the right time, and he is ably supported by an excellent script and solid supporting cast. Again, a few details have been changed, but the general story remains bleak with perhaps a little more Hollywood hope and optimism added for good measure.
May 28, 2010
#2
Review by Compay
Rating:
It’s been seven years since Mel Gibson has appeared on the silver screen, and he definitely chose the right film as his comeback vehicle. While the conspiracy theories that make up the film aren’t incredibly original, you are still treated to Gibson’s strong screen presence and a tense storyline.
I’m unfamiliar with the British miniseries that this film was based on, so I’m basing my opinion solely on my thoughts of this movie in particular. A variety of mysterious characters prevent the film from being predictable, and you’re thrown an interesting curveball from what the movie’s trailer might lead you to assume about the story. I will also fess up that this was the first movie I’ve seen in years with a scene that made me jump in my seat (to the people in front of me, I apologize for getting popcorn on you).
One funny thing that I’ll give kudos to director Martin Campbell for is not hiding the fact that Gibson is all of 5’9″ in real life. Jay O. Sanders (playing fellow detective Whitehouse) towers over Mel in several scenes, a reminder that this film is a different beast than action flicks like Lethal Weapon or Mad Max.
I won’t share the plot with you, because the less you know about the film in advance, the more you will enjoy it. For all of Gibson’s controversies, one thing is undeniable, this is a solid comeback effort that deserves a watch.
May 28, 2010
#3
Review by amerdale876
Rating:
A lot has been said in the press about Mel Gibson ever since his infamous DUI exchange with a police officer. Honestly, though, no matter if the guy likes to drink – and what he slurs out of his mouth at the time – or not, the guy can act. His latest, Edge of Darkness, based on the 1985 BBC miniseries, is directed by the director of the miniseries Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) and offers up one of the best revenge thrillers I’ve seen since Taken [Blu-ray] and Munich (Widescreen Edition).
The story follows Boston Detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) who witnesses the brutal murder of his daughter, Emma (Bojana Novakovic), and then conducts a rogue murder investigation into who committed the crime, which leads him across some rather mysterious, smarmy characters, including Ray Winstone and Danny Huston. Sounds like a basic plot, but, like most revenge thrillers, there’s a lot more to the story than meets the eye, and there are plenty of moral ambiguities that come into play. Director Campbell uses his same trademark pacing that made the likes of Casino Royale (Collector’s Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray], The Mask of Zorro [Blu-ray] and GoldenEye so great. As for Gibson, he’s had a paramount list of films in his resume that have dealt with revenge before and all of them are superb (i.e., Ransom (Special Edition), The Patriot (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray], Braveheart (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray], Payback – Straight Up – The Director’s Cut [Blu-ray]). In all of these films, he has this moment where, through just the look on his face, he conveys such emotion in one expression. And that moment in this film is just after Craven has witnessed the murder of his only daughter and his buddy cop comes in amidst the coroners, cops and media to see Craven sitting calmly on his couch, just staring. Just that one look is proof enough that Gibson is an actor in every sense of the word. The look on his face is pure determination, betrayal and enraged wrath all in one. It’s a look that reminds me of the famous General George S. Patton quote: “May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.” And that’s the moment in the movie when you know that you’re in for one hell of a ride!
Of course, most quests for revenge are not clean and they’re definitely not pretty. Craven goes down a path full of twists and turns with which he never knew his daughter was involved. While the father discovers his daughter’s secret life, he never waivers in his belief in her character, and it’s that drive that pushes him in his quest for truth and justice. As a father of two young girls, with the subject matter, this movie is difficult to watch. The scenes that especially got to me were the ones where he pictured his daughter as a little girl and the moments they shared. But each scene is vital to the strength of the story and our belief and devotion in Gibson’s character’s drive.
Many of those who have seen the original BBC miniseries that the film is based on may say this isn’t as good as the original, which is easy to say when the miniseries had more than two hours to tell a story. However, I thought this remake lived up very well to the original and was just as good. In fact, this film was a great ride that I wouldn’t exactly describe as “a non-stop thrill ride.” But I would say that it is one great revenge thriller; it certainly beats out the most recent Law Abiding Citizen [Blu-ray]. The only main drawback was Ray Winstone’s delivery of lines; his voice was so mumbled that I and the other audience members could hardly understand what he was saying. I often heard viewers around me asking again and again what he had just said.
Nevertheless, “Edge of Darkness” is one of the most taut thrillers I’ve seen in a long time, and is easy to enjoy with its tense action and pacing, smart plot, and great acting. Say what you will about the man but Gibson delivers again and again with each performance.
May 28, 2010
#4
Review by Arnita D. Brown
Rating:
Thomas Craven, a single father, has been a Boston homicide detective for many years. His 24-year-old daughter Emma, his only child, is killed on the front steps of his home. At first it appears that Craven was the intended target. He soon uncovers evidence that leads him to think differently, and decides to pursue the information at all costs. He learns his daughter led a secret life that led to her murder. He quickly finds himself confronted with a shadowy world of corporate collusion with government-sanctioned murder. In the process he collides with a secret government operative, Darius Jedburgh, whose job is to clean up and hide any remaining evidence. Craven’s singleness of purpose in finding answers about Emma’s death becomes a transforming experience that changes his life.
Mel Gibson has not lost his touch. The script is smart and very well written. Mel Gibson is very intense and sincere in his role as both a grieving father and police detective who needed to uncover the truth. There are some great action scenes in this movie. I really enjoyed it. Mel is definitely back and in his element in this movie.
May 28, 2010
#5
Review by DanD
Rating:
Thomas Craven is a Boston cop. He has enemies. So when a gunman shows up at his door and kills his daughter, Craven automatically thinks they were gunning for him. But were they? Why was his daughter so sick? Why had she suddenly decided to come home? Why was she carrying a gun? And just what was her job at the Northmoor weapons manufacturing company?
Say what you want about the man; Mel Gibson, as an actor and director, is nearly unequaled. When he wants, he can sink his teeth into a role and never give up–and he wants to here. Gibson breathes life into Craven, making him a sympathetic, flawed hero. Ray Winstone, as a mysterious British special op, is also dynamite (as always). Danny Houston makes a great villain, even though he doesn’t have much to work with.
And that is the main flaw of the film: it’s forced at times, and this leads to a plot that just don’t seem to make much sense (or make its audience care). I haven’t seen the original miniseries; I’m guessing the problems here are condensing a longer, complicated plot into one 2-hour experience. It just doesn’t always fit; this is far from William Monahan’s best script, and it’s certainly not Martin Campbell’s best directing effort. Yet, the film IS a step or two above the usual thrillers of its type, mainly because of Gibson’s bleak performance. It all leads up to an ending that is deplorable (I’m talking about the very last scene, not the ending in general), but the ride along the way is well-worth it. He’s a cop with nothing to lose–so fasten your seat belt. (And the fact that the previous line doesn’t come off as cheesy serves to show how worthwhile this film is.)