Edge of Darkness
Review
by Anthony Morris
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Edge of Darkness
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Bodies
bob to the surface in a moonlit river, Boston cop Tommy Craven (Mel
Gibson) collects his daughter (Bojana Novakovic) from the airport on
what's supposed to be a family visit only she's clearly got something
on her mind and is coughing up blood besides...
At first Edge of Darkness
seems to be your typical conspiracy thriller, but then Tommy's daughter
meets a surprisingly untimely end, and the two elements that define
this film above and beyond the (skilfully done) conspiracy thriller are
put in place. The first is that Edge of Darkness
is a film where any conversation can end at any time with one of the
parties involved being killed, and the second is that this is a film
where Mel (who hasn't ben the lead in a film for eight years) is an
unstoppable force of vengeance. Usually
in a conspiracy thriller, the lead is on the back foot at least some of
the time as the vast conspiracy destroys their life. Here Tommy's life
ends when his daughter dies, and what's left is a man with nothing to
lose - and nothing to fear. Director Michael Campbell (Casino Royale)
adapts his own mid-80s mini-series and sands off some of the bleaker
edges of the original, but for the most part this retains the grim
momentum of the original. Ray
Winstone gives a solid performances as a bone-weary CIA fixer who lets
Tommy's rampage continue out of professional courtesy, but it's an
oddly pointless role: fun as it is to see him and Mel together as the
manliest men alive, he's not a character the movie really needs to work.
And work it does!
If you like your conspiracies grim and your heroes ruthless, Edge of Darkness does everything you could ask for.
4
out
of 5
Edge of Darkness
Australian release: 4 February,
2010
Official
Site: Edge of Darkness
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone
Director: Martin Campbell
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