Gibson's welcome back performance not enough to save Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness ««½
R, 117m., 2010

Cast & Credits: Mel Gibson (Thomas Craven), Ray Winstone (Jedburgh), Danny Huston (Jack Bennett), Bojana Novakovic (Emma Craven), Shawn Roberts (Burnham), David Aaron Baker (Millroy), Jay O. Sanders (Whitehouse), Denis O’Hare (Moore), Damian Young (Senator Jim Pine), Caterina Scorsone (Melissa), Frank Grillo (Agent One), Wayne Duvall (Chief of Police), Gabrielle Popa (Young Emma). Screenplay by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell based on the television series “Edge of Darkness” by Troy Kennedy-Martin. Directed by Martin Campbell.

I compare the desire to see Edge of Darkness with the same enthusiasm people might have as a reason to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009). The reasons are three-fold. I came to the conclusion "Dr. Parnassus" would either appeal to those interested in seeing Heath Ledger’s final performance, to those who like director Terry Gilliam’s fantasy films, and finally, to those who like art house type movies.

By comparison, mine, if not most people’s interest to see Edge of Darkness would be to see if Gibson could still bring in audiences despite all the personal turmoil we’ve heard about him the past eight years in the tabloids. The other would be in hopes of seeing him again playing the righteous good-guy intent on delivering justice to the bad guys his way.

When Gibson’s Detective Thomas Craven feeds one potential suspect the threatening line, “You had better decide whether you’re hangin’ on the cross, or bangin’ in the nails,” the quote should be enough to tell us blood is going to be spilled and it won’t just be Craven’s.

I am fairly certain audiences won’t walk away disappointed. The best thing Edge of Darkness offers is Gibson’s poignant portrayal of a grieving father and police detective out to avenge his daughter’s murder. The most memorable moments are the ones showing Gibson's character in emotional pain as he is speaking with the ghost of his dead daughter (Bojanna Novakovic). Or as he travels down memory lane to recalling the time as a young kid, she tried mimicking him shaving in the morning.

I just wish Edge of Darkness had been a better movie to mark Gibson’s “welcome back” performance, or that maybe the villains were sinister enough I would have been happy to see them get their comeuppance. The film, to my surprise and perhaps disappointment, is actually based on a 1985 British mini-series of the same title with the exact same plot. The difference is like last year’s newspaper film with Russell Crowe, State of Play (also based on a British mini-series), what we get here is a much watered down version; a story that took over six hours to tell is told here in two.

It’s bad enough this movie is a remake. What’s worse is how it reeks of familiar storylines past, especially if you were to apply the plot as a case of investigative journalism. Ask yourself how many times have you seen a movie where a detective whose only family left are either their daughter, son, or wife who are killed in a drive-by shooting. Then in the following scene, which occurs most likely the next day, the lone detective shows up for work and is not only told by his commanding officer that maybe he should take a few days off, but that he probably should not be working this particular case. Would you be surprised if you heard him actually follow his superior’s advice? Would you really want to see a film where the lead character steps aside and let his fellow co-workers handle the case?

I know I have seen this kind of scenario play out before. Perhaps the reason why I can’t think of any movies that have done this is maybe they were just as predictable as this one.

As for my earlier comment about how the plot in Edge of Darkness could relate to any other movie involving investigative journalism, it’s true. Take out the Craven character as a cop and have him as an investigative reporter working for a financially troubled newspaper who finds out the murder of a police detective’s daughter is tied to the company she worked for or some government cover-up is involved, and we get a story out of either All the President’s Men (1976) or The Pelican Brief (1993).

Watching Edge of Darkness, I started thinking about “Deep Throat”, the shadowy character Hal Holbrook played in All the President’s Men who met Robert Redford’s Bob Woodward in dimly lit underground parking garages. The reason is because by comparison we get a shadowy character just like Deep Throat named Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) who is the kind of guy desperate corporate executives hire to make problems go away. The difference is instead of meeting his contact in underground garages like Deep Throat did, Jedburgh meets Craven out in the open sitting on a park bench drinking a glass of wine.

You might notice I haven’t quite gone into much detail about the plot. Perhaps I don’t need to. I think I threw out enough bones to give you an idea of where this murder investigation is heading. All there is left for me to tell you is yes, the story does involve a crooked corporation working for the United States government. And there are politicians, CEOs, and shady lawyers involved who secretly meet out on rooftops and who, as they are about to leave, tell each other neither of them was ever there. There are henchmen in dark suits who follow Craven in black SUVs.

We meet characters who knew Craven’s daughter personally, and are afraid to talk out of fear their lives will be in danger. There is even a lowly television reporter who midway through the film, rushes up to Craven with cameraman in tow determined to ask him how he feels about losing his daughter.

Given that Craven has lost the one thing that meant most to him, the minute he asks for her business card, I knew where the final conclusion of this movie was headed.

©2/1/10