Edge of Darkness -- Review

How far are you willing to go to keep a secret?  How about the truth?  Depending on the circumstances and those involved, would you be willing to kill for either? Edge of Darkness is just that.  It borders the line between sanity and insanity, it tempts madness, and challenges one man's morals and limits after he witnesses the horrifyingly graphic death of his young daughter.  This conspiracy thriller film is a roller coaster ride through a haunted house that with quite literally blow your mind.

Edge of Darkness was a surprising film after the past Mel Gibson mighty fails.  The story is gripping and holds your attention from start to finish.  It reminded me of classic Gibson via 1987 when he played one of my favorite characters, Sergeant Riggs.  Minus the horrible attempt at a Boston accent, Gibson's portrayal of Detective Craven is a memorable role.  Having him play along side Ray Winstone, who eventually took on the role of Jedburgh once Robert De Niro dropped out of the role after only a few short days on set for what was said to have been "creative differences".  Although I loved watching the English bad man I would have loved to have see what De Niro would have done with the role.  Aside from the accent Gibson was playing around with which felt like nails on a chalkboard, the only other issue I had with the film was the whimpering Jack Bennette.  Played by Danny Huston, who terrified me as Marlow in 30 Days of Nights, I almost expected him to be a little more ruthless.  Even in the final scenes of the film I expected his "badassness" level to rise, but it never met the level I have become accustomed to for his unique look. I just did not buy the 'corporate bad guy' as much as I would have liked to.

The acting ensemble was amazingly casted and the rough and tumble shooting style left nothing to the imagination.  Director Martin Campbell gave us a nitty-gritty view of Boston with some of the most brutal deaths I have seen on screen.  A close friend of mine worked on second unit, and with each passing scene all I could think was how jealous I was that she had been involved in a project that I'm sure was a roller coaster ride all of its own.  It was fun to watch the city on the big screen and recognizing a number of the location when it is normally LA, NYC or some other large city where these style of action films are shot.

If you are looking for an action packed film this weekend, and you have a decently strong stomach to be able to handle several graphic murders that will seriously make you squirm in your seat.  Even though I have fallen out of the Mel Gibson fan club, this film sends you back to the glory days and the craziness of the Lethal Weapon films.  I give this film a 4 out of 5 on the suspense and action scale.