Starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston
Directed by Martin Campbell
Written by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell
117 minutes
Released January 29, 2010
Edge of Darkness is a case of whether this movie good enough to kill two hours. From its generic title to its generic plot, I’d say no. (My husband would say yes).
Barely.
Although I am not generally the type of movie goer who has to have every conceivable question answered, this one left some holes. Based on a mini-series, it’s easy to see why condensing it into a two-hour production was probably not the best idea. The primary question I had at its end was why this Boston cop, seemingly devoted to his daughter, has let so much time pass without seeing her. Her boyfriend makes this clear in their first meeting. It is also the kind of movie, sadly, where people only get killed when their function in the plot has passed. With ruthless villains such as these would Craven (Mel Gibson) a smart investigator been given free reign to explore the circumstances of his daughter’s death for two hours. Would her boyfriend survive as long as he did?
PLOT: Craven (Mel Gibson), a Boston cop, watches as his daughter get gunned down outside his house during an infrequent visit. The immediate assumption is that Craven was the actual target of the gunman. Emma Craven (Bojana Navakovic) works for a large Massachusetts corporation, Northmoor, whose actual purpose is murky. She has come home ill and before she can explain her illness, she’s dead. Northmoor, of course, is not what it seems and Craven gradually learns its dark secrets.
Both Gibson and Ray Winstone do what they can to breathe credibility and life into an airless plot. Winstone plays an enigmatic agent whose purpose is questionable. The scenes between the two actors are the most interesting in the film. But most of the movie is either murky or boring and lacks the tension it needs to succeed.
Patti
