Introduction

As those who know me, and if such a person exists, cyberstalk me, know I created this blog after writing on another site, which shall remain nameless, for a while. The point is, I have material sitting around waiting to be re-used on occasion I will re-post them here. Some of those articles or reviews may have been extemporaneous at the time but are slightly random now, hence the new title and little intro, regardless enjoy!

Edge of Darkness

Prior to the release of Edge of Darkness much of the discussion regarding it related to whether Mel Gibson can still carry a film as a lead actor, since he hadn’t starred in a project in six years. The answer to those concerns is a resounding yes. Gibson carries this film just as easily as any he had in the past and is just as good, if not better than he was in doing so.
Note that spoilers may be found below.
Edge of Darkness is a film which is a slow burn but it is most definitely a good thing. This film does not give you the complete picture at the outset and slowly, about at the same pace as the protagonist, you start to see what the circumstances surrounding the murder were. Eventually you work through the entanglements the plot has created to reach some sort of clarity of precisely what is going on. Differently than Sherlock Holmes a plot is uncovered which is far-reaching but not far-fetched.

The action sequences in the film are very good and very intense and contrary to some reports were not too few and far between. They are some of the more resonant portions of the film showing that the filmmakers in this case strove for quality over quantity.
Those complaints were mainly made by those comparing it to the miniseries, which this cannot be. It is a film and must stand on its own two legs. As interesting a project as it is it makes one wonder why Gibson chose this as, essentially, his comeback vehicle.
On the downside the visions and posthumous conversations that Gibson’s character has with his daughter do become very tiresome. There are far too many of them for so short a film. Eventually they start to lose their effectiveness and yes they do drag the story somewhat though not for a lack of action around them.

Recently, The Guardian wrote an article on the troubles with accents specifically South African ones when interpreted by American actors. Conversely though the Bostonian accent seems to be thriving and is not nearly as exaggerated as it was and Mr. Gibson and the rest of the cast playing locals are to be commended for that.
Where the film truly excels though is through the supporting character, Jedburgh, as well as the man who plays him Ray Winstone. This is a funny, dark and intriguing character which is the kind of dubious man without a past and affiliation that is most likely to get involved in a mess like this to clear it up. His and Thomas Craven’s (Mel Gibson) relationship is fascinating and helps to drive the story forward.
Unfortunately, the Achilles Heel of the film turns up again once more at the very end with a very cheesy shot of Thomas Craven and his daughter walking side by side. It is a shot without any finesse and tells us information we have already surmised that could be conveyed another way.

Ultimately, this is a good action film with an interesting and intelligent plot that is well worth seeking out.
7/10