Edge of Darkness
Starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, and Danny Huston
Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale)
Rated R for strong bloody violence and language
Appropriate for ages 17+
After an eight-year hiatus, Mel Gibson returns to acting as a Boston cop whose daughter is brutally killed in front of him. While the world thinks he was the target of the deadly crime, he sets off an investigation to discover who might want his daughter dead and the answers lead him to an unimaginable conclusion.
I have to admit, this film surprised me. I felt that the trailers sold it as an R-rated version of Taken, with Mel getting his vengeance on a plethora of baddies in heinous ways for what they did to his daughter. This film is far from that. Don’t get me wrong, it has its share of Mel committing violence, but the movie is not about violence, which is how it’s being sold. Mel is simply a father that wants to know the truth and he finds out too much. The theme is stated very shortly after his daughter’s death as he is pouring her ashes into the ocean telling her “I’ll be with you shortly honey.” He’s a man that now has nothing to lose and knows that the direction he is going only has one destination.
But the movie turns out to be even more than that. With a subplot involving a secret agent (Winstone) the movie turns out to deliver a sharp, resounding message about our political system, special interests, and the potential of America. It’s a deeper and more thought-provoking film than I could have expected or imagined.
The acting for the most part is pretty solid, although Mel’s accent is thick Bostonian in some scenes and not so much in others. Also, the film is far from boring, but the film does lag in spots. Then again, like a rocket taking off, there are some moments that had my heart racing seconds later as well. A-