Edge of Darkness

The trailer for Mel Gibson’s Edge of Darkness made this movie look a lot like the summer blockbuster Taken, starring Liam Neeson. Each film has a loving father, a traumatic incident happening to his beloved daughter, and an apparent rampage to find answers, punish the bad guys, or exact revenge. That basic premise is where the similarities end. Taken was a big success and the studio might have been attempting to strike the same tone on the trailer to put butts in the seats, but in all actuality it ultimately does The Edge of Darkness a disservice. This movie isn’t about a bad-ass politically connected dad hell bent on recovery and punishment. Here we have a tired, highly believable bereaved dad, who cares only for finding out why someone would want to hurt his little girl.

In Edge of Darkness Mel Gibson returns to the widescreen to play a somewhat familiar role: a cop. But this cop isn’t Lt. Riggs, the wise cracking detective, but the down-to-earth, long-in-the-years Detective Craven, who is set to enjoy his daughter’s visit home. The opening scenes develop a great father-daughter relationship that seems quite genuine and sweet, and really helps you feel for and understand Det. Craven’s character. Within mere minutes his entire world is shattered by her murder.

Det. Craven doesn’t go crazy. He doesn’t lose his head. He’s a smart, perceptive guy, and soon enough he recovers from the shock of the incident in order to smartly figure out what is going on – assisted by a variety of clues, associates of his daughter and his own sixth sense for bullshit. From here the plot takes some strange turns as Det. Craven starts to track down all of the loose ends in a conspiracy plot involving a defense contracted company, a tree-hugging environmentalist group, and a US Senator. Ray Winstone makes an appearance in a role he’s always been good at - a ‘fixer’ of problems. But this role isn’t your typical Hollywood ‘fixer’. The movie manages to put a face on the man and allows the audience to connect with the character as an actual person with feelings and a fleshed out story. There are many scenes in this movie where Winstone and Gibson sit and talk it out. These scenes are more interesting and engaging than those in most ‘revenge’ movies.

Dialogue is actually where the movie really shines. The writing is smart, meaningful, sometimes humorous, and witty, but it is also very subtle. Plot points, observations, clues to the storyline, and humor, albeit often dark, are inserted into a quick exchange of dialogue and never addressed again. You don’t see it coming, they don’t beat you over the head with it, and you are going to miss it if you are whispering to your friends, shushing the ubiquitous movie talker or visiting the restroom after sucking down your prerequisite vat of cola. The characters on the screen often ‘get the drift,’ but a less astute audience member will be left scratching their head wondering how on earth Detective Craven knew to go to the such ‘n such and talk to so ‘n so. Quick comprehension is sometimes hindered by the Boston accent that most characters use. You are so focused on fathoming the words that their actual meaning takes a moment to sink in. By the time you’ve got it, you may have missed something new being said. I’m not saying that this movie is only for the cerebral, after all, it’s a cop drama – but it is definitely not for the slow-witted or those who take a bit longer on the uptake.

This movie does a lot of things right. It is a mystery film that allows the audience to experience the mystery as it unfolds, learning and investigating along with the main character. The mystery isn’t only who killed the daughter, but also why was she killed. We are given immediate information as to who the bad guy(s) are early on, but we still have to piece together the motive and the underlying incidents that resulted in her death.

At the same time, the movie does have a few missteps. Det. Craven sees and hears his daughter in some hallucinations/flashbacks throughout the film. They are intended (I think) to pull on your heart strings, and remind the audience of the bond he had with his daughter and of what has been taken from him. The film, however, doesn’t get the tone right in all of the scenes and they end up feeling awkward and forced as opposed to heart wrenching and warming. As previously stated, the film does a good job right out of the gate with illustrating the father-daughter bond, so these segments just seem unnecessary.

Edge of Darkness seems to be based around a bygone era of the US. It is a remake of a 1980’s TV series and it looks like it could fit well in the world of The Fugitive, but in 2010 America some things just seem out of place. For instance Mel Gibson’s daughter arrives to Boston via train; however later in the film you also find out she brought a gun with her - one not registered to herself. This doesn’t hurt the movie overall, but it did distract me a bit. My first thought when it appeared was ‘how the hell did she get that on the train.’

This movie isn’t action heavy. Det. Craven isn’t a ‘bad-ass’ cop, just typical Boston Detective. That being said, when injuries and fatalities come into play they are memorable. This movie doesn’t pull any punches in the gore department. It isn’t over the top, but if you are a bit squeamish this may not be the movie for you.

There is one thing I want to mention that automatically made me like this movie. There is a scene in the movie where a reporter chases Det. Craven down the sidewalk to ask him about his daughter’s murder. Now normally I hate these scenes. I hate how reporters are depicted in movies (yes, you are sensing my media career in this comment), but here they get it right. Reporters hate chasing down the family, they hate entering their lives, and in this movie we get that. We feel it. And so does Detective Craven. Considering my own experience in having to be the one sticking that camera in the faces of victim’s families, I really appreciate how the film handles it.

- Andrew Cady