Edge of Darkness

No lie, I hadn't realized that it had been 7 1/2 years since Mel Gibson has starred in a movie. Seriously. The last movie he's been in was 2003's The Singing Detective, and longer since he's been in something that had a wide release (2002's Signs). Now, say what you want to about Mel Gibson's directorial efforts and the controversial things he's said in the past decade, but the man can act. And for his return to the screen, one would assume that Gibson would go for something that really showcased his ability.



Sadly, Edge of Darkness isn't that movie. Not to say it's a bad movie, because it isn't. It's a capable, engaging, straight-forward thriller that manages to hold attention despite (and possibly because of) the lack of a twist ending. Mel Gibson's Thomas Craven (a name tailor made to be a detective's name) welcomes his daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) home for a visit, only to have her gunned down on his front step. Mourning her by pouring himself into the case, Craven works off of the assumption that the shooter was aiming for him, seeing as how he's a rather well-known Boston area detective. As a side note, Gibson's Boston accent needs work. A lot of it. It's not as rough as Jack Nicholson's Boston accent from The Departed, but it's still rough.

As Craven starts digging into the case he begins to see that his daughter really was the target because she was blowing the whistle on the company she worked for. Sound like a familiar plot? It's pretty much stock cop thriller storyline, but it works here largely because of the flair that director Martin Campbell (the man who directed Casino Royale) brings to a rather stale script. The pacing is steady, the plot makes sense and doesn't mislead or make things convoluted, and the actors involved all push across convincing characters. British actor Ray Winstone stole nearly every scene he was in and added exceptional depth, despite his portrayal of the generic mysterious "man who knows more than he should."

The problem I have with this movie isn't so much directed at the movie itself. As I said, despite the cliched nature of the story it's telling, it's a slick thriller that's done competently, making for an enjoyable trip. My issue is more with Mel Gibson's script choice than anything else. When an actor of Gibson's stature disappears from in front of the screen for so long, as a film fan you hope, at least a little, that their return is memorable. Epic, even. Edge of Darkness isn't epic. It isn't all that memorable. It's competent and even. It's enjoyable. However, it remains wholly unremarkable. Anyone could have filled Mel Gibson's role in this movie, and the movie would've worked just fine. That's not an indictment on the movie itself. It's mere disappointment that a great actor didn't return with a great movie to match.