Review: Edge of Darkness

Tom Kraven is a Boston Police detective and widower. Since his daughter graduated from college and found a decent job, he has not heard much from her. On the day she finally comes to visit, she seems to be ill, but before they can get to the hospital she is gunned down on his father's footsteps. As the investigation begins, all signs point to a disgruntled collar of Tom's, but he soon realizes that his daughter had become entwined in a conspiracy involving the company she has been interning for.

A remake of director Martin Campbell's British television mini-series of the same name, Campbell has imported the story across the pond to Massachusetts and has enlisted down-on-his-luck screen legend, Mel Gibson. Quite an obvious choice when one thinks about it. When it comes to righteous anger, no one does it better than old Mel. There is a ticking time bomb behind Mel's eyes that is truly frightening, yet he stays relatively calm throughout the whole investigation, a determination motivated by finding peace for his daughter, the only family he seemingly has left. Practically anyone can relate, the loss of a loved one, let alone a child, is instantly empathetic.

This quiet and waiting to explode variation of Mel Gibson is directly tied to another problem to the film. What was marketed as a fast paced action picture full of vengeance and payback was a whole lot slower, but effective, allowing a mystery to unfold to a conservative finale for an action flick. Mel Gibson was certainly not channelling Martin Riggs wholly, but digging deep to the silent depravity of Mad Max and well-directed melodrama of Tom Mullen (of Ransom) as well. With a script with a 50/50 shot at sounding cheesy, Mel delivers on some truly excellent lines.

Ray Winstone brings out a lot of the best in this movie. He is the exception to a lackluster supporting cast (one that even included Danny Huston). His character is a cliche, a spy used as a blunt instrument turned repentant when he faces his own mortality, yet Winstone's performance raises the bar and keeps it fresh. Like a predator, he seems poised to attack at any second keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. His mentoring ways and pearls of wisdom put Mel on this path, and Winstone's natural charm color him more of a sage than a puppet-master.

In the end, Edge of Darkness is not Mel Gibson's triumphant return, but it reminds us how great he has always been, personal issues aside. Campbell reiterates an effective thriller and mystery, but the comparisons to the original, namely being inferior to it, are inescapable.

7/10