Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness 2010
Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: William Monahan and Andrew Bovell
Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Bojana Novakovic, Shawn Roberts, David Aaron Baker, Jay O. Sanders, Denis O'Hare, Damian Young, Catarina Scorsone and Tom Kemp

Mel Gibson has been seen more behind the cameras than in front of them late. It is good to see him in a starring role again and this film is a good one for his talents. This is the best film he has starred in by my estimation since 1999's Payback. IT is basically a action revenge thriller. But it is more than that. It reminds me if they combined Taken with Silkwood. The film is very intense and does not shy away from showing the propensity for violence a film like this has. IT is anchored by very 3 strong character driven performances by Gibson, Huston and Winstone. The young actress that play's Gibson's daughter is amazingly good too. The film has a political conspiracy bent to the entire story that I was not expecting, but it worked within the parameters of the film very well. Gibson has lost none of his intensity when it comes to action films and this film is no different. The film also has a bittersweet melancholy flowing throughout the film too and I think that makes it a deeper and more hard hitting film.
The plot basics are this, Thomas Craven (Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective on the Boston Police force and his daughter Emma (Novakovic) has taken some time off from working as an intern to visit her father. It seems something is really upsetting her and she is quite sick. She finally decides to go to the hospital and as they leave his house, someone shoots Emma with a shotgun, killing her almost instantly. At first Thomas thinks it was someone with a vendetta against him, but as he begins to investigate he finds that there was more to her death and it had to do with her work. It seems that she found some rotten dealings going on by the CEO of her company, Jack Bennett (Huston) and she was silenced for that. With the help of a mysterious man, (Winstone) Craven is put on the right path and begins to learn the corruption that was going on a corporate and government level. He has many obstacles in his path, but nothing will prevent him from finding who killed Emma and why.
This was a intense and highly provocative film. The direction by Campbell is top notch. HE sets up the scenes of intensity very well and really makes the viewer jump out of his seat several times. The way he balances it with the bittersweet flashback scenes of Thomas and Emma is heart wrenching and very bittersweet. The script is very tight. You really get a feeling for Thomas and Emma, and even though Emma leaves the story quickly her presence is felt throughout the entire film. The main villain, which is personified in Jack Bennett is quite oily and malevolent, you really hate him from the first moment he appears. The character of Jedburgh is almost like a Obi-Wan type of character that pushes Thomas in the right direction. He also has some of the best lines in the film. The cast is exceptional. Gibson really commands this performance and you are really rooting for him to succeed and to find some peace for his daughter. He also, is still a very macho action presence that has only gotten better with age. Huston once again proves that he is the go to guy for villainy. He is oily and twisted in this film and you really want him to die horribly. Winstone is also phenomenal. He really steals the film in any scene he is in and his final scene in the film is outstanding. Novakovic is breathtaking as Emma, in the opening moments of the film, you become enraptured of her and begin to feel for her just as much as her father does. That is hard to do when the actor only has a limited screen presence. The SFX and effects of the film are outstanding. The blood flies copiously in many scenes that are peppered throughout the film. The gory detail of the shotgun blast is just one that will make everyone cringe. It is a relief to see that Mel Gibson, still has the chops for this kind of film, and I really hope he doesn't take 10 years to make another good movie again.
This one gets 4 out of 5