Edge of Darkness
What?
When Thomas Craven’s (Mel Gibson) daughter visits after time away with work, the night ends in tragedy when she is gunned down on his doorstep. The Boston Police Department's investigation falters and then they decide the hit must have been meant for Craven, as a hardened detective he has many enemy's after all. Craven doesn't buy this and takes it upon himself to bring those responsible to task. His own investigations lead him to some very dark areas, and then ultimately back to his daughter’s double life, as an activist, known to the shadier parts of high government.
Adapted from the TV show of the same name, Edge of Darkness is a solid drama; it doesn't break new ground, but it does what it says on the tin. Martin Campbell is a reliable old hand at this type of movie, and he guides things along with an assured, if somewhat plodding, style. There are a couple of action beats, that are well handled, but this isn't a Mad Mel on the rampage movie, it is a more considered, measured and thoughtful Mel that we find here. Sure he gets a bit rough and tumble when called upon, but Gibson is getting on a bit these days and he packs a wallop in his performance rather than in a literal sense. And performance is certainly the movies strong suit; Mel is fantastic as the grieving Dad, who won't rest until he has the answers to the many questions surrounding his daughters’ death. Ray Winston turns up as a shady government clean up man and someone who can help Mel decipher the mystery, and he puts in a nicely understated turn. The plot is of the tangled web variety, and does require a bit of concentration to keep track of what is going, and I must admit that due to the slow pace of proceedings, at times it was hard to keep focused. That said, it was good to see Mel back on screen doing what he does best.
Optics:
I was quite surprised at how ropey the image looked here. A new release DVD should still look pretty decent, but the image here is very patchy, with soft blacks, inconsistent colour reproduction and visible grain on display at times. Edge enhancement, something I've not really noticed in new releases in a long while, was also visible in many of the scenes with light backgrounds, overall not good.
Sonics:
The mix is fairly low key, with most of the action projecting from the front soundstage, the surrounds are used sparingly for spot and ambience, and the sub comes to life during the brief action scenes. Dialogue is clear and detailed, and the score is full and rich. Certainly not a mix that is particularly noticeable, but it is one that suits the movie.
Extras:
Deleted scenes and a host of featurettes make up the extra’s package, but don’t be fooled by the number of things to look at, as even though the featurettes do touch on most aspects of the production, they are pretty brief.
Well?
Perhaps a little too slow, and in need of one or two more action beats, but Mel is a movie star and should be on screen in this type of role, I wouldn't call the movie as a whole a return to form for him, but his performance certainly makes it worthy of a rental.
Kris Williams
When Thomas Craven’s (Mel Gibson) daughter visits after time away with work, the night ends in tragedy when she is gunned down on his doorstep. The Boston Police Department's investigation falters and then they decide the hit must have been meant for Craven, as a hardened detective he has many enemy's after all. Craven doesn't buy this and takes it upon himself to bring those responsible to task. His own investigations lead him to some very dark areas, and then ultimately back to his daughter’s double life, as an activist, known to the shadier parts of high government.
Adapted from the TV show of the same name, Edge of Darkness is a solid drama; it doesn't break new ground, but it does what it says on the tin. Martin Campbell is a reliable old hand at this type of movie, and he guides things along with an assured, if somewhat plodding, style. There are a couple of action beats, that are well handled, but this isn't a Mad Mel on the rampage movie, it is a more considered, measured and thoughtful Mel that we find here. Sure he gets a bit rough and tumble when called upon, but Gibson is getting on a bit these days and he packs a wallop in his performance rather than in a literal sense. And performance is certainly the movies strong suit; Mel is fantastic as the grieving Dad, who won't rest until he has the answers to the many questions surrounding his daughters’ death. Ray Winston turns up as a shady government clean up man and someone who can help Mel decipher the mystery, and he puts in a nicely understated turn. The plot is of the tangled web variety, and does require a bit of concentration to keep track of what is going, and I must admit that due to the slow pace of proceedings, at times it was hard to keep focused. That said, it was good to see Mel back on screen doing what he does best.
Optics:
I was quite surprised at how ropey the image looked here. A new release DVD should still look pretty decent, but the image here is very patchy, with soft blacks, inconsistent colour reproduction and visible grain on display at times. Edge enhancement, something I've not really noticed in new releases in a long while, was also visible in many of the scenes with light backgrounds, overall not good.
Sonics:
The mix is fairly low key, with most of the action projecting from the front soundstage, the surrounds are used sparingly for spot and ambience, and the sub comes to life during the brief action scenes. Dialogue is clear and detailed, and the score is full and rich. Certainly not a mix that is particularly noticeable, but it is one that suits the movie.
Extras:
Deleted scenes and a host of featurettes make up the extra’s package, but don’t be fooled by the number of things to look at, as even though the featurettes do touch on most aspects of the production, they are pretty brief.
Well?
Perhaps a little too slow, and in need of one or two more action beats, but Mel is a movie star and should be on screen in this type of role, I wouldn't call the movie as a whole a return to form for him, but his performance certainly makes it worthy of a rental.
Kris Williams
Director:
Martin Campbell
Starring:
Mel Gibson
Ray Winstone
Danny Huston
Bojana Novakovic
Shawn Roberts
Best line:
"Some Secrets Take us to the Edge."
Tagline:
Description:
Warner Bros
Region 2
Rated 15
1Hr 57 Mins
(Anamorphic)
2.35:1
Dolby Digital 5.1
Deleted scenes
'Revisiting the Edge of Darkness'
'Mel Is Back'
Martin Campbell Profile
'Making a Ghost Character Real'
'Scoring Edge of Darkness'
'Adapting the Mini Series'
'Boston as a Character'
Ratings: (Out of 5)
Film 3.0
Optics 2.0
Sonics 3.0
Extras 2.0
Overall 3.0
