Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Certificate: 15
Runtime: 117 mins
UK release date: 29 January 2010:
In a nutshell: Mel Gibson returns to the world of bullets and gun wielding in his latest action thriller, discovering his daughter's secret life after her brutal murder.
Mel Gibson returns to centre stage this week in his new thriller, Edge of Darkness, after taking a back seat in a leading role for almost a decade. Starring in Martin Campbell's (Casino Royale) film adaptation of the 1985 BBC miniseries, it's time to see if Gibson can return to his glory days and entice his Lethal Weapon and Ransom fans back after flirting with the female audience who have lately given him much of his box office success (What Women Want).
After his 24-year old daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) is murdered in front of his very eyes, veteran homicide detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) launches a one man investigation into discovering the truth surrounding her death. At first believing he was the intended victim and that she was killed in his place, Craven finds in her belongings that all is not what it seems. Delving further into her possessions and through her acquaintances, he discovers that there was more to Emma than he realised. His solo mission to reveal the truth forces him to enter into a dangerous world of cover-ups and brutal murders.
Campbell has honed Gibson's charisma deeply into the protagonist's character and produced a very real and raw portrayal of a man that has nothing left to lose. Backed up by Ray Winstone's shady Government operative, Darius Jedburgh, and Howard Shore's (Lord of the Rings) dark, edgy score, Campbell has delivered a film, both poignant and deeply engrossing , and one that is so much more than it looks on the surface - as just an action thriller.
Edge of Darkness is a film that manages to finely balance the topic of deep political issues with thrilling bullet-filled action sequences as well as providing undertones of gripping emotion.
Whether or not audiences are willing to welcome Gibson back in a starring role remains to be seen however there is no doubting the performance that he gives. He portrays the role of a grieving father, who sets out to uncover the truth, and who embarks on an emotional journey in the quest for redemption, with great depth and venerability.
