Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

For months, I've been waiting for this film, and for months, I've loathed the title. It seemed so bland and generic. But now that I've seen Mel Gibson's return to leading-man status EDGE OF DARKNESS, I embrace the title for everything it stands for. The title still doesn't do this exceptional film justice, because this is a story that dives headfirst into darkness thanks to a tempered, perfectly measured performance by Gibson, who takes everything we know about his potential as an actor and then defies it, and then builds on it, and gives us one of the most complete and focused characters in his arsenal.

His character, Boston Det. Thomas Craven, is not a difficult man to figure out at all. His wife died when their daughter Emma was young, and while the two have drifted apart geographically, their bond is undeniable. On a seemingly spontaneous visit home, Emma seems a bit distracted and more than a little sick. She unexpectedly begins vomiting blood at the dinner table. As he races to get her out the front door and she begins to tell him why she is so ill, a masked gunman stands their waiting just outside the house, calls out "Craven," and shreds Emma with a shotgun blast as she stands directly next to her father. The investigating officers and the media immediately assume that some enemy Craven made on the job is responsible for this horrific act, but Craven isn't convinced. And while most people would simply take the time to mourn the loss of their only child, Craven falls back on his only coping mechanism--his work.

With very little over-the-top violence (okay, maybe there's a little) and a slowly unfolding plot that holds together nicely, Edge of Darkness follows a surprisingly complex and truly interesting path to the truth behind Emma's death. What impressed me so much about Gibson's work here is partly due to the strong writing from William Monahan (THE DEPARTED; BODY OF LIES) and Andrew Bovell (Lantana). Craven does not simply plow through his investigation like a rabid animal mowing down every potential conspirator in his path. He considers each new person and situation, and does what is necessary. Sometimes, a soft touch is required; sometimes, a rocks-off ass kicking is the way to go; and every so often a bullet to the head does the trick. Thomas Craven is not a machine. If anything, he's the exact opposite--an emotional pent-up man with nothing left to lose.

Some might think that the places Craven's investigation take him are a little far fetched, but director Martin Campbell (CASINO ROYALE; both ZORRO movies; and the upcoming GREEN LANTERN film) mostly avoids taking things to an absurd place, even with one of my absolute favorite working character actors Danny Huston hamming things up a bit as Emma's boss at a nuclear research facility. I was particularly fond of the character Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), a man who is brought in to solve problems for the government, but that doesn't mean what you think. Winstone plays the role with such confidence and intelligence that one of my only complaints about EDGE OF DARKNESS is that he isn't in it more.

The story is smart enough to know that sometimes the best way to handle a potential problem is not to eliminate those threatening to expose you, but instead add more voices to the naysayers so that the message gets watered down and convoluted. It's a fine line between being a whistleblower and a conspiracy theorist apparently. So Gibson's mission becomes not only finding his daughter's killer but making certain people believe him when he starts pointing fingers and explaining why she died. His performance is one of the best of his career, but more than that, I like seeing him play his age (mid-50s) and letting his wrinkles show on his face and his thinning hair become part of this deeply flawed character. Craven's theories on soldiers suffering from PTSD might ruffle a few feathers, but it's pretty amusing nevertheless. And to hear Gibson issue a line about whether a person wants to be nailed to a cross or the one driving in the nails has an extra resonance coming from the director of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (the line certainly got an unexpected laugh from the crowd with whom I saw this movie).

I'm not here to judge Mel Gibson as a human being or as a controversial figure. My only job is to judge his performance in EDGE OF DARKNESS, and he's as good in this movie as I've ever seen him. And I hope this is the launching-off point for him into the next phase of his acting career. If it is, we're in for a slew of excellent roles from Gibson, and I'm looking forward to whatever he's up to in Jodie Foster's THE BEAVER later this year. In the mean time, check this one out soon.

-- Capone
therealcapone@aintitcoolmail.com
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