Review of Edge of Darkness (2010) by Corey B — 27 Nov 2010

While I liked Edge of Darkness, my biggest thought throughout the movie was, "what was it about this script that attracted all this talent?". Sure, it's got some clever moments, but aside from Ray Winstone's character, this is a by the numbers revenge thriller.

Now, it's a by the numbers movie that is skillfully made, which helps alleviate the fact that we can predict just about every twist and turn. It's got good performances, lots of tension, and a slow burn pace that rarely feels boring. Martin Campbell isn't phoning this is in (thankfully this is more Casino Royale Campbell than Vertical Limit Campbell) - he's really going for it.

What makes it work better than most revenge thrillers is a top notch performance by Ray Winstone as a hit man suffering a moral crisis. He's only in a handful of scenes, but every time he's on screen the movie suddenly gets a burst of energy. Winstone easily steals the movie!

As for Gibson, he's good, but his character is a little thin. We don't get much more about his quest for his daughter's killer other than the fact that he just has to find justice because she was a cute kid. Lost in the shuffle is the ever so hinted at idea that he's essentially abandoned his daughter before her death, and is trying to make amends afterwards. Whenever the movie touches on this point (a brief exchange with her boyfriend), it gives Gibson's character much needed depth, but too often the movie just shows flashbacks of a cute kid doing cute things taking much of the personal blame off of Gibson's shoulders.

So, it's solid, but its lack of ambition keeps it from being great.