Edge of Darkness (2010)

director: Martin Campell

writer: William Monahan, Andrew Bovell

starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone

genre: Thriller

Mel Gibson after a long acting break is finally back. He is one of those classic actors like Harrison Ford that as old as they get, they still dont get old on you. That charm and presence isnt gone yet. Here he returns to form with a great performance in a tight thriller with secrets all around.

Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) a Boston detective welcomes back his daughter Emma for a vistit from her job at Northmoor. His happiness of seeing his daughter will not be long lasting as a uneventful situation happens. His daughter is murdered and detective Craven has to make sense of this odd situation. Through his investigation, Craven slowly realizes that he himself was not the target and that foul play from his daughter's company might be at hand.

Edge of Darkness has similarities to Michael Mann's Heat as both were once on TV and directed by the same person. The difference between the two films is that Heat (1995) was a masterpiece and Edge of Darkness is just a good thriller. After finding out that the film was not as original as I once thought my enjoyment of the film fell. I was thinking at the end of the film "wow this is the kind of films Hollywood should be going after". Intelligent, intense thrillers that get crowds. But upon finding out my joy became cynism with Hollywood's tactic of the past decades. For more remakes, branding and franchising of anything they can find. If it's old classics, horror films, tv shows or board games which just recently has become apart of the tactic. Hollywood just cant help themeslves in making anything truly original.

That dosent mean that film is bad for its unoriginality of being a remake. The film is intense, intelligent and very entertaining. You will be fully imersed in the mystery behind Craven's daughters death. The performances are all top notch. It all depends if it bothers you that the film is a remake and if it will change your feelings before or after seeing the film. People saw the Departed and didn't have trouble of enjoying that film. Even after the fact that they found out that the film was a remake.

Despite being a remake its still a very good film. We all have to remember that almost everything we see from now has been done before in one manner or another. So don't be shy and anybody in the mood for a good thriller I fully recommend going to see the Edge of Darkness.

Personal Rating:

Review by Paul