Edge of Darkness (2010 film)

Last updated

Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness the Movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Martin Campbell
Written by
Based on Edge of Darkness
by Troy Kennedy Martin
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Phil Meheux
Edited by Stuart Baird
Music by Howard Shore
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 29 January 2010 (2010-01-29)(United States)
Running time
117 minutes [2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [1]
  • United States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80 million [2]
Box office$81.1 million [2]

Edge of Darkness is a 2010 conspiracy crime thriller film directed by Martin Campbell, written by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell, and starring Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone. A British-American co-production, it is based on the 1985 BBC television series of the same name, which was likewise directed by Campbell. This was Gibson's first screen lead since Signs (2002), and follows a detective investigating the murder of his activist daughter, while uncovering political conspiracies and cover-ups in the process. It was released on 29 January 2010. It received mixed reviews from critics, though Gibson's and Winstone's performances were praised, and grossed $81 million against its $80 million production budget which made it a box-office bomb.

Contents

Plot

At South Station, Boston, homicide detective Thomas Craven picks up his daughter Emma, who comes home to visit and vomits while getting into the car. As Craven prepares dinner at home, Emma suffers a nosebleed and vomits again. When they step outside the house to go to a hospital, a masked gunman fatally shoots Emma with a shotgun blast. The attacker escapes as Craven attends to his daughter, who dies in his arms.

While formally identifying Emma's body, Craven takes a lock of her hair as a memento, then returns to duty to help find out who wanted to kill him. When he discovers that Emma had a .45 pistol in her nightstand, he starts to suspect that Emma was the target. He checks the gun's ownership, and finds it belongs to her boyfriend, David. David is living in fear of Northmoor, a weapons company where he and Emma worked, and he refuses to talk, but gives Craven the key to Emma's apartment. Craven searches Emma's apartment, and finds a Geiger counter. He discovers the lock of Emma's hair is radioactive.

Craven visits Jack Bennett, the CEO of Northmoor. Northmoor leases a research and development facility from the U.S. government. Bennett claims the firm is working on clean nuclear energy, but refuses to go into detail. He inquires rudely about Craven's feelings after Emma's death.

Craven repeatedly has visions of Emma's past, including short conversations, typically as the happy young child he remembers and loves. Burning Emma's clothing in his backyard, Craven suddenly turns to find Jedburgh, a British "consultant". Jedburgh was tasked with preventing the disclosure of the information Emma had and tying up any loose ends, including her father. Jedburgh takes a liking to Craven, leaving him to investigate.

Craven eventually discovers through one of Emma's activist friends, who is nearly killed by a Northmoor agent, that Bennett ordered Emma's murder, as well as those of the other activists Emma was working with to expose Northmoor. Northmoor is secretly manufacturing nuclear weapons using foreign designs. The weapons were intended to be linked with foreign nations if they were used by the United States as dirty bombs.

Craven confronts U.S. Senator Jim Pine, who was contacted earlier by Emma, revealing that Craven knows almost everything that happened.

After examining Emma's fridge with the Geiger counter, Craven discovers that her milk is radioactive. Craven also falls sick. He is abducted by Northmoor agents, and wakes up handcuffed to a gurney in the Northmoor facility, but manages to escape. His health deteriorating rapidly from radiation poisoning, Craven heads to Bennett's house, and kills the Northmoor agents after forcing one of them at gunpoint to shout "Craven", finally identifying him as Emma's killer. Bennett shoots and wounds Craven, but Craven also wounds Bennett and forces some of the radioactive milk down his throat. Bennett attempts to take some pills to counteract the radioactivity, but Craven tells Bennett he deserves what's coming to him and fatally shoots him.

Jedburgh meets with the Senator and two political advisers who had hired Jedburgh to handle Craven. They want to spin the Northmoor incident in a positive light. Jedburgh suggests that portraying it as an assassination attempt on the Senator could be an angle to keep Bennett's death out of the headlines. They are pleased with this idea until Jedburgh abruptly kills both advisers and the senator. When a young police officer nervously enters the Senator's room, Jedburgh asks the officer at gunpoint if he has children. When the officer replies yes, Jedburgh lowers his gun, allowing the officer to shoot him dead.

While Craven lies dying in the hospital from his wounds and radiation poisoning, a young reporter for the local TV station, who had spoken to Craven a few nights earlier, opens a letter from him which contains DVDs recorded by Emma revealing the conspiracy. As Craven dies, the spirit of Emma comforts him. The ghosts of Craven and Emma are then shown leaving the hospital together, walking down the corridor and toward a bright, white light.

Cast

Production

In 2002, Martin Campbell announced that he was planning to adapt Edge of Darkness for the cinema. [11] Active development began in early 2007 when Campbell met with producer Graham King, who first enlisted Australian playwright Andrew Bovell to write, and then William Monahan (fresh from winning an Academy Award for King's The Departed ) to re-write the screenplay. [12] Michael Wearing and BBC Films also co-produced the film. [4] [7]

Filming began on 18 August 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. [5] A scene where Craven scatters his daughter's ashes at a beach was filmed at Rockport on 25 and 26 September. [13] They shot some scenes in Merrimac, Massachusetts from 15 September 2008 to 18 September 2008. Additional scenes were shot in Malden, Massachusetts in the old Malden hospital. Some of the final scenes were shot at a home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Additionally, Gibson and his crew set up shop for filming in western Massachusetts, with 180 staff staying in Northampton hotels. They shot in various locations in the Pioneer Valley, including Tully O'Reilly's Pub, the Northampton Athletic Club, and an older part of the Hampshire County Courthouse, all in Northampton. Also, Sugarloaf Mountain was shut down for a few days while they rented it out. [14] They also filmed at the Notch Visitor Center, Rt. 116, Amherst, and right across the street from the Visitor Center, buried in Bare Mountain, The Notch Cold War Bunker stood in for the main entrance of the Northmoor facility.

The film takes place in America, unlike the television series, which was based in England. "The idea was to transfer the story to a different time and place rather than just repeat what we did in England," Campbell said. "Boston seemed like the perfect location because it does have a whole English, Irish signature on it." [15] The film was originally scored by classical composer John Corigliano. However, the decision was made during postproduction (after Corigliano's score had been recorded and dubbed) to replace his score with a new one by Howard Shore.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 217 reviews and an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "For better and for worse, Edge of Darkness offers vintage Mel Gibson, working within the familiar framework of a bloody revenge thriller." [16] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score 55 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." [17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [18]

Film critic Richard Roeper gave the film a grade of "B", stating: "Gibson excels in this entertaining conspiracy thriller." [19] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "An intense Mel Gibson performance anchors this brutally effective crime thriller." [20] Some critics, such as A.O. Scott of The New York Times, saw a similarity to Taken . [21] Other critics, such as Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, [22] Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips, [23] and New Orleans Times-Picayune film critic Mike Scott, [24] described Ray Winstone's character in the film as "intriguing."

Box office

On its first weekend, the film opened number two, grossing $17.1 million behind Avatar . [25] The film went on to gross $43.3 million in the United States and Canada and $37.8 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $81.1 million, against a production budget of $80 million. [2]

Home media

The film was released by Warner Home Video on 11 May 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray. [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heat</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Michael Mann

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It features an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight and Val Kilmer in supporting roles. The film follows the conflict between a Los Angeles Police Department detective, played by Pacino, and a career thief, played by De Niro, while also depicting its effect on their professional relationships and personal lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Gibson</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1956)

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic series Mad Max (1979–1985) and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop series Lethal Weapon (1987–1998).

<i>The Passion of the Christ</i> 2004 film by Mel Gibson

The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mel Gibson. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It also draws on pious accounts such as the Friday of Sorrows, along with other devotional writings, such as the reputed visions attributed to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich.

<i>Lethal Weapon</i> 1987 American film directed by Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American action film directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Mitchell Ryan. In Lethal Weapon, a pair of mismatched LAPD detectives—Martin Riggs (Gibson), a former Green Beret who has become suicidal following the death of his wife, and veteran officer and family man Roger Murtaugh (Glover)—work together as partners.

<i>Sexy Beast</i> 2000 comedy crime film by Jonathan Glazer

Sexy Beast is a 2000 black comedy crime film directed by Jonathan Glazer and written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. It stars Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, and Ian McShane. It follows Gary "Gal" Dove (Winstone), a retired criminal visited by a sociopathic gangster (Kingsley) who demands that he take part in a bank robbery in London.

<i>The King of Comedy</i> (film) 1982 film directed by Martin Scorsese

The King of Comedy is a 1982 American satirical black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard. Written by Paul D. Zimmerman, the film focuses on themes such as celebrity worship and American media culture. 20th Century-Fox released the film on February 18, 1983, in the United States, though the film was released two months earlier in Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Winstone</span> English actor (born 1957)

Raymond Andrew Winstone is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perhaps best known for his "hard man" roles, usually delivered in his distinctive London accent. The first of these was That Summer! (1979), for which he received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer. He rose to prominence starring as Will Scarlet in the series Robin of Sherwood from 1984 to 1986.

<i>Lethal Weapon 4</i> 1998 American film directed by Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li. It is the fourth installment in the Lethal Weapon film series. It is the last film in the series directed by Donner before his death, and the latest to be released theatrically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Campbell</span> New Zealand film and television director (born 1943)

Martin Campbell is a New Zealand film and television director, based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his works in the action and thriller film genres, including the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006), The Mask of Zorro (1998) and its sequel The Legend of Zorro (2005), Vertical Limit (2000), and The Foreigner (2017). Earlier in his career, he directed the critically-acclaimed BBC drama serial Edge of Darkness (1985), which earned him a British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series. He later directed the 2010 theatrical film adaptation of the serial.

<i>The Singing Detective</i> (film) 2003 American film by Keith Gordon

The Singing Detective is a 2003 American musical crime comedy film directed by Keith Gordon and loosely based on the BBC serial of the same name, a work by British writer Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey Jr. and features a supporting cast that includes Katie Holmes, Adrien Brody, Robin Wright Penn, Mel Gibson, Jeremy Northam and Carla Gugino as well as a number of songs from the 1950s.

<i>Edge of Darkness</i> British television drama serial

Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 50 to 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and political thriller, it revolves around the efforts of widowed policeman Ronald Craven to unravel the truth behind the murder of his daughter Emma. Craven's investigations soon lead him into a murky world of government and corporate cover-ups and nuclear espionage, pitting him against dark forces that threaten the future of life on Earth.

Joe Don Baker is an American retired actor, known for playing "tough guy" characters on both sides of the law. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles the Westerns in Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Wild Rovers (1971), before his breakthrough role as real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the film Walking Tall (1973).

<i>Showtime</i> (film) 2002 film by Tom Dey

Showtime is a 2002 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tom Dey. The film stars Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy in the lead roles alongside Rene Russo, William Shatner, Pedro Damian and De Niro's real life daughter Drena De Niro. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 2002. The film received generally negative reviews, with critics lamenting its lackluster humor and poor attempt to satirize the buddy cop genre. It received two nominations at the 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Actor, and Worst Screen Combo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icon Productions</span> Australian/American production company

Icon Productions, also formerly referred to as Icon Entertainment International, is a production company founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey. Icon Productions LLC's headquarters were established in Santa Monica, California, before opening branches in Sydney, Australia, and in the UK, and expanding into the business of film distribution.

<i>Edge of Darkness</i> (soundtrack) 1985 soundtrack album by Eric Clapton

Edge of Darkness is the 1985 soundtrack by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen for the British television series Edge of Darkness. The soundtrack's theme won the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting and composing, besides winning the 1986 BAFTA Award for Best Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert De Niro</span> American actor (born 1943)

Robert Anthony De Niro is an American actor and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards. He was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2011, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2019. De Niro was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. president Barack Obama in 2016.

<i>The Beaver</i> (film) 2011 film

The Beaver is a 2011 psychological drama film directed by Jodie Foster and written by Kyle Killen. It stars Mel Gibson, Foster, Anton Yelchin, and Jennifer Lawrence. Marking Gibson's and Foster's second collaboration since 1994's Maverick, it follows Walter Black, a depressed executive, who hits rock-bottom when his wife kicks him out of the house. At his lowest point, he begins to use a beaver hand puppet to communicate with people and overcome his issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Gibson filmography</span>

Mel Gibson is an American actor, director, and producer, who made his acting debut on the Australian television drama series The Sullivans (1976–1983). While a student at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, he was given an uncredited role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and subsequently appeared as a leading actor in the micro budget surf drama Summer City. Gibson rose to prominence during the Australian New Wave cinema movement in the early 1980s, having appeared in his breakthrough role in George Miller's dystopian action film Mad Max (1979), portraying the eponymous hero. He reprised the role in its sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). He appeared in Peter Weir's war drama Gallipoli (1981) and the romantic drama The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Five years later he played Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action comedy Lethal Weapon alongside Danny Glover—a role he later reprised in its sequels Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).

<i>The Sweeney</i> (2012 film) 2012 British film by Nick Love

The Sweeney is a 2012 British action drama film, inspired by the 1970s The Sweeney, the British television police drama of the same name, but set in contemporary London. Written and directed by Nick Love, from a story by Love and John Hodge, it is based on the characters created by Ian Kennedy Martin. It stars Ray Winstone as Jack Regan, Plan B as George Carter, and Damian Lewis as Frank Haskins, with Allen Leech and Hayley Atwell.

<i>Dragged Across Concrete</i> 2018 film by S. Craig Zahler

Dragged Across Concrete is a 2018 crime thriller film written and directed by S. Craig Zahler. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Laurie Holden, Fred Melamed, Thomas Kretschmann, and Don Johnson. The story follows two childhood friends and two police detectives who are suspended for police brutality who, in a desperate need for money, are embroiled in a robbery done by a professional thief.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Edge of Darkness (2010)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Edge of Darkness (2010)". Box Office Mojo.
  3. 1 2 Michael Fleming (1 August 2008). "De Niro to join Mel Gibson on 'Edge'". Variety . Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  4. 1 2 Michael Fleming (28 April 2008). "Mel Gibson returns for 'Darkness'". Variety . Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  5. 1 2 "We hear: Mel Gibson, Jason Varitek, Chaka Kahn". Boston Herald . 20 August 2008. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  6. ↑ Michael Fleming (12 September 2008). "Winstone replaces De Niro in 'Edge'". Variety . Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Borys Kit (14 August 2008). "Three join Mel Gibson's 'Edge of Darkness'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2008.
  8. ↑ Michael Fleming (4 September 2008). "De Niro exits 'Edge of Darkness'". Variety . Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  9. ↑ "Maria Gabrielle Popa". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 11 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Bryon Perry (8 October 2008). "Gbenga Akinnagbe". Variety . Retrieved 7 November 2008.[ verification needed ]
  11. ↑ "Edge of Darkness 'set for big screen'". BBC News. 16 January 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Mel´s Megafans". Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  13. ↑ Jonathan L'Ecuyer (24 August 2008). "Mel Gibson will film scene in Rockport". Gloucester Daily Times . Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
  14. ↑ The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), 1 October 2008, "Actor Mel Gibson coming to Northampton next week to shoot new film on Main Street" (The page at masslive.com was updated on 26 January 2010; it covers all of the production locations mentioned above.), accessed 20 May 2011
  15. ↑ "Edge of Darkness: Martin Campbell interview". BBC Film Network. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  16. ↑ "Edge of Darkness (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  17. ↑ "Edge of Darkness Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  18. ↑ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Edge of Darkness" in the search box). CinemaScore . Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  19. ↑ Richard Roeper. "Edge of Darkness Review". Richard Roeper.com. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  20. ↑ Rechtshaffen, Michael. "Edge of Darkness Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  21. ↑ Scott, A.O. (29 January 2010). "Movie Review – Edge of Darkness – Jaw-Breaking Boston Detective Unravels His Daughter's Murder". The New York Times . Retrieved 29 January 2010. Mr. Gibson brought a wild, unpredictable streak to his action-hero persona. He traded that in at some point for the haggard, humorless demeanor he shows here, cracking the occasional somber joke on his way to breaking another jaw. Liam Neeson did this kind of parental rage much better in 2008 in Taken, which was an unusually lively and persuasive example of the genre.
  22. ↑ Ebert, Roger (27 January 2010). "Edge of Darkness". Chicago Sun-Times . Sun-Times Media Group . Retrieved 30 January 2010. He's joined in this by the superb British actor Ray Winstone, as an intriguing free agent who turns up in Craven's garden one night with a cigar and an enigmatic line of patter.
  23. ↑ Phillips, Michael (28 January 2010). "Talking Pictures: 'Edge of Darkness' – 3 stars". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 30 January 2010. Among them: Ray Winstone as assassin/fixer/philosopher of mysterious employ, who quietly becomes the most intriguing character...
  24. ↑ Scott, Mike (29 January 2010). "Mel Gibson returns in 'Edge of Darkness' – and it's the same old Mel". New Orleans Times-Picayune . Retrieved 30 January 2010. British actor Ray Winstone ("The Departed", " "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"), who plays an intriguingly complex hitman torn between doing his job and doing the right thing.
  25. ↑ Corliss, Richard (31 January 2010). "Avatar Pushes Mel Gibson Off the Edge". Time . Archived from the original on 3 February 2010.
  26. ↑ "Edge of Darkness DVD::Standard Edition". WBshop.com. Warner Home Video. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  27. ↑ "Blu-ray Picks Of The Week for May 11th" HD Report
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.