Climbing Higher Pictures

Edge of Darkness Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: B+

This is the first film in which Mel Gibson has acted in over 7 years. As a successful director in his own right (Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto), Gibson doesn’t have a whole lot of reason to act anymore. With that in mind, consider how good a script would have to be to get him back in the game. Whatever you think of him as a person, it doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the most talented actors of his generation, and when films like Edge of Darkness come around, it’s good to see him back where he started, in front of the camera. It helps to have an all-star crew behind the scenes too, as this is the kind of film which could have easily swerved into melodrama and cheese with the slightest detour.

Enter Martin Campbell, fresh off directing duties on easily the best Bond movie in recent memory, Casino Royale, and the man behind the upcoming Green Lantern adaptation with Ryan Reynolds. I can’t say that the previews or any of the advance buzz had me excited to see the film, and Campbell put my fears to rest in the first 15 minutes. When a director handles a movie with the grace of knowing that he’s pulled off far larger scale storytelling before, there’s a comfort and ease at play. It’s like when Steven Spielberg went from Minority Report to Catch Me If You Can. Nothing feels out of control, or even slightly adverse to the original vision, and it makes for an incredibly solid experience that sucks the audience in, even when there’s nothing particularly interesting going on. We know there will be, we trust in the talent and the forces behind the camera, and we’re grabbing the armchairs of our seats in anticipation.

The other shining light in the off-screen circle is screenwriter William Monahan, whose Academy Award winning work on Scorcese’s The Departed made him an ideal candidate to adapt another larger work, in this case the BBC series of the same name, and relocate the story to his now familiar turf of Boston Massachusetts. Gibson’s accent may be a little hit or miss, but the words come through loud and clear, and the script takes its time in the first two acts of set-up, clearing the way for an emotional and satisfying finale that does everything you’d want it to do and more. The pacing is a bit of a marvel to behold, as it never bores, but also saves most of its adrenaline rush for the final frames. Yet another way in which the film balances itself close to perfectly.

Putting Gibson’s performance to one side, (you’ll need to see the film to judge that work for yourself as everyone is going to have their own personal response to the man and to the actor) I want to talk about one of the great supporting actors on hand in the film, Ray Winstone. With the exception of Beowulf, for which I blame the script and the direction most prominently for the failure, I’ve never seen Winstone give a performance that wasn’t incredible. There’s something about his hard edged demeanor that feels so genuine and honest that we can’t help but believe him, no matter who he’s supposed to be. He’s particularly good here, and it’s nice to see him getting work that shows off what he can do. Monahan’s words always sound just right coming out of his mouth, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they collaborate more in the future.

Edge of Darkness is a taught, emotional thrill ride. It has the same problems as most thrillers do, mainly in the lack of need for repeat viewings. Once you see it, you won’t really want to see it again, because not knowing what’s around the next turn is almost as satisfying as seeing what happens when you get there. Is this Mel Gibson’s triumphant return to acting? I’m not completely convinced. Is it a damn good time at the movies? Unquestionably. The best movies are collaborations between a group of extremely talented people, and this is as good an example as any that I can think of. Have fun with it, and enjoy the brief respite from utter crap over the dump months of studio releases.