Title: Edge of Darkness
Director(s): Martin Campbell
Screenwriter(s): William Monahan & Andrew Bovell
Released: 2010
Runtime: 1h 56m
● This is not a Taken clone as the hero does not go on a shooting spree even though he does in some ways operate alone. Nonetheless, it tries to be “dark and gritty” and with Mel Gibson in the lead role, it was at the time of release clearly going for the “older male lead with a gun” vibe.
● This adaptation of the 1985 BBC television series is meant to be a crime drama-thriller but is not particularly thrilling. More on that later.
● Detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) picks up his daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) at the train station, she presumably having been away for some time. Soon, it is clear that Emma is not feeling well and just as they leave to seek medical help, Emma is gunned down at the front door. While Thomas’s colleagues assume he was the intended target, we the audience know that is not the case and he then goes in search of the truth…
● This is not a brainless action-packed angry-dad film and it is not meant to be.
● The acting from what is a veteran cast is what one would expect, all having a certain intensity.
● The cinematography and film editing are quite conventional and unpretentious. It is fitting enough for the genre but, if anything, can use more stylization.
● The sound mix and editing can be better, the clarity of speech sometimes lacking.
● The setting and plot are not entirely uninteresting; however, the plot simply progresses too slowly. It is so obvious the antagonists are withholding information and yet the protagonists take their time with their investigation. Also, given the expositions, any thinking viewer would have a reasonably good idea of what may be going on and yet the protagonist (having the same information) does not seem to mirror this cognizance; it’s as if the writers were purposely extending the narrative for the sheer sake of it. If the conspiracy behind Emma’s murder is more complicated, if there are twists, then this film would have raised itself from the pit of mediocrity.
● Having said all that, although more action would help, this film is not littered with pointless action, and Gibson thankfully does not portray Craven as a vengeful and bitter father nor does he play the overtly poor tortured soul. His interaction with his daughter as a young child throughout the film, partly out of grief and based on his memories, gives it an extra emotional dimension. This literary device might be cheesy for some, but it is not overdone; it adds depth to his character and it gives the audience a glimpse of his relationship with his child. This emotional layer and dimension—to be more specific, this vulnerable, human side of the “vengeful male”—is unfortunately almost always lacking in today’s film and television.
● Overall, Edge of Darkness has decent production and performances but, as a crime drama-thriller, it is not intriguing or thrilling which is disappointing considering the veteran writers.
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This mini-review is part of the collection for Taken clones and derivatives.
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