Saturday 10 July 2010

Edge of Darkness: Revenge, Remakes, and Bottles of Thallium

You know, I think …

Only think, mind …

That Movie Night Adrian, Squeaky and I have seen something of an impressively moody movie, tonight …

The 2010, Martin Campbell directed, Mel Gibson/Ray Winstone film, Edge Of Darkness.

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Based on the 1985 series of the same name, Edge Of Darkness sees Mel Gibson as police officer, Thomas Craven, returning home, with his newly arrived daughter, Emma.

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Who has an extremely confidential job, with an extremely hush-hush company, in Massachusetts, called Northmoor; one that, as we find out, is handling — or mishandling, I should say — some extremely dangerous and classified material.

The pleasant family reunion isn’t due to last for long, though, as because of some of the more … ahhh … perilous … job decisions she’s made, Emma is shot on the doorstep of her fathers’ house.

Which sees Craven determined to find out what she was shot, why she was crouching and violently vomiting, and what — exactly — her job involved.

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Now, I’ll admit Movie Night Adrian and I have seen TV to movie adaptions, before: usually the various Star Trek and X-File adaptions have been expanded versions of the individual episodes, designed to entertain and tell us more of the central characters in the intervening years since the end of the series: and none the worse for that.

In fact, I think the Trek movies, in particular, are extremely entertaining: I think both Adrian, Kevin and Sarah D, and Squeaky will agree with me, here …

Edge of Darkness, though, is one that I think Squeaky, bless her, got a touch bored with: it’s one that appealed more to me and Adrian more.

I also think that, while I’ve not seen the two TV original’s of either State of Play or Edge of Darkness, I am tempted to maybe look them up in Brentwood Library.

State of Play because, although I found the Russell Crowe film enjoyable, it struck me then, as now, that it was a bit thin, and cobbled together, plot-wise: I’d like to see what I’m missing in the original.

Edge of Darkness, though … ?

Edge of Darkness as a film and political thriller seems much more coherent than the film version of State of Play.

Of the two … ?

I’m going to tell you to spend your money on Edge of Darkness.


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2 comments:

sue said...

I haven't seen the movie, and after seeing what you wrote I would rather not, Edge of Darkness, is one of my all time favorite DVDs, and a great way to spend a day, with the yummy Joe Don Baker. Emma was a student investigating Northmoor not working there. J.D.B plays an American with a gung ho approach to life.
It is a child of it's generation, the miners strikes, the IRA etc, but it did win 6 BAFTA awards,it's also great to see how the actors have gone on to other things Take the High Road, Dr Who, and BlackAdder.
So I would recommend the TV series to anyone, Oh and the music is written by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen.

Nik Nak said...

Really … ?

Might have to have a borrow of your copy, Sue … !