Movie Review: Edge of Darkness

Sometimes a great performance can’t be enough to save a mediocre movie. That is the case with Edge of Darkness which features the triumphant return to the screen by Mel Gibson. Director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) puts together a disjointed mess that relies solely on the intensity of Gibson, who delivers one of his best performances to date. Gibson plays Boston police detective Tom Craven, a real straight shooter who doesn’t drink, and cares most about reconnecting with his daughter who has come home for a weekend visit. It is during this visit that Emma Craven (Bojana Novakovic) is shot to death in her father’s arms in an attack that is believed to be intended for Tom, not Emma. As we see from the trailer Tom discovers there is much more to his daughter’s death than meets the eye (isn’t that always the case?)

The major flaw with Edge of Darkness is that the film gets too caught up in its conspiracy theory (yes, that was the name of a Mel Gibson movie as well.) The conspiracy here is really nothing original or surprising. The script acts like the audience will be shocked by revelations that characters on screen are revealing; but at every surprising, meaningless twist, the audience is already two steps ahead of the film. The conspiracy here is that Emma Craven was the target (this is not a spoiler, you learn this from the trailer,) and that there may or may not be a government cover up involving her death. The nuances of why she may be involved with a government conspiracy are revealed throughout the course of the film, as it becomes evident Tom Craven had little idea of who his daughter was. As Gibson fights to find answers as to what happened he is continually hears his dead daughter’s voice and sees her as a young girl. The director wants to build meaning and motive for why Craven is willing to work so hard to find out what happened, but these scenes become distracting and do not really add anything to the movie.

The driving force behind Edge of Darkness is the performance by Mel Gibson. With a thick Boston accent, rough exterior, and a fearless agenda, Gibson brings some credibility to the film as a damaged father who just wants to know what happened. Gibson delivers his lines with an intensity that few actors can bring to the screen so convincingly. Watching a talented actor like Gibson, makes a flawed movie like Darkness even more watchable because the actor is so talented. Unfortunately, Gibson has little help on the supporting end with good performances being few and far between. Ray Winstone (The Departed) is the closest match to Gibson as a stranger who may have information about Craven’s daughter’s death. Winstone plays the cliched role of the guy who mysteriously shows up throughout the movie to inform people of what is happening next. It is a generic plot device that is used when the direction is going nowhere.When you watch the movie you will understand.

Edge of Darkness is not entirely a revenge tale. It has drawn comparisons to last year’s kidnapping thriller Taken which is not a very accurate comparison. Taken was a simple revenge tale that was fast paced, very intense, and by far one the most entertaining films of last year. Edge of Darkness diverts from the typical routine of a revenge movie (which it probably shouldn’t have) and takes the audience down a path of corporate conspiracy, a government cover up, and a lot of different agendas from very rich white men. Edge of Darkness is less Payback and more State of Play. The movie, at times, plays like a bad episode of 24 where there is cover up for a cover up, as something else is being covered up. Sounds ridiculous, but that is just the way it plays out.

The script, written by William Monahan (The Departed), is just average and the direction was not much better. Had this movie starred a less able actor like Jason Statham or Mark Whalberg the film would have lost the one element it had going for it: Mel Gibson. As far as thrills go, Edge of Darkness has intense moments that make you question what is going to happen next. It just would have been nice if we weren’t able to figure out the entire movie right from the start. The thrills are predictable, the story is contrived, and the outcome was disappointing. However, Mel Gibson delivers one hell of a performance and proves he is one of the last great movie stars around.

Fanboyz Grade: C