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Homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) investigates his daughter’s murder in Martin Campbell’s “Edge of Darkness.” |
“Edge of Darkness” is directed by Martin Campbell, who gave us the greatest James Bond movie of the past 30 years, “Casino Royale.”
But his newest movie isn’t your standard Hollywood action fare at all. It’s a moody, growly, smart and gritty throwback to the classic film noir productions pumped out by Warner Bros. during the 1940s and ’50s.
If anything, “Edge of Darkness” recalls the 1950 Edmund O’Brien noir classic “D.O.A.” (“Dead on Arrival”), mixed with elements from Liam Neeson’s 2009 angry-killer-dad thriller “Taken” and a nod to “Silkwood.”
On top of this, Campbell is simply directing a theatrical remake of his 1985 BBC big-business conspiracy miniseries, updated by William “The Departed” Monahan.
“Edge of Darkness” (a title taken from a 1943 Warner Bros. war movie) stars Mel Gibson, marking his first starring role in eight years, as Boston police detective Tom Craven. He’s a single dad who dotes on his grown daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic). She has just returned home from her “glorified internship” at an unspecified company.
Right away, we can tell something’s amiss. Emma vomits. Her nose starts bleeding. Craven insists on taking her to the hospital, but they barely get to the door when a shotgun blast, perhaps intended for Craven, blows her across the room. (Read more…)