Review of "Edge of Darkness"

The Detroit News

If "Edge of Darkness" seems a bit old-fashioned, that's because it is.

It features Mel Gibson, who hasn't starred in a film in nearly eight years, suddenly popping up looking like, well, Mel Gibson's father. And he's working his way through a story that was the basis of a 1985 British miniseries. The entire enterprise feels a bit dusty.

Consequently, the only edge here is in the title. This is indeed your father's thriller.

Given that, "Edge of Darkness" is what it is -- a showcase for the newly creaky Gibson to show he's still got the right stuff, despite all the wrong stuff he's displayed in public in the past decade. He can still throw a punch -- although chances are he'll hurt his hand in the process -- and he's still determined to get the bad guys.

Gibson plays Craven, a Boston police detective whose grown daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) comes home to visit, shows signs of illness and then is promptly gunned down on the front porch.

Everyone figures it was someone trying to settle a beef with Craven. Except, eventually, Craven who keeps stumbling across odd indicators -- Emma was carrying a gun, her friends are noticeably nervous about everything, her corporate employer (Danny Huston) seems to be a psychopath -- that something was wrong with Emma.

There's also the fact that she was puking blood when she came home, but that doesn't initially bother Craven much. Sherlock Holmes he's not.

But he is persistent, so eventually he puts together the pieces of a conspiracy involving Emma's employer building private sector nuclear bombs while the government (why?) covers for them.

As conspiracies go, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, which can happen when you condense a six-part TV series down to a one-part film.

The script by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell does, however, afford Gibson the opportunity to unravel increasingly more obvious secrets and beat up people; and veteran director Martin Campbell ("Casino Royale," as well as the original miniseries) moves things along at an efficient if predictable pace.

The wear on Gibson's previous macho pretty-boy looks is initially distracting, but he is playing to his current age and even has some fun with his wrinkles. The story is workmanlike; and although it lacks real flair, the film has many Gibson-like moments, as well as a few corny otherworld interludes.

In other words, it's a cop flick starring an aging Mel Gibson as an aging Mel Gibson character, nothing more and nothing less.

If you want aging tough-guy Mel, "Edge of Darkness" is your movie. If Gibson really wants to revive his reputation as an artist, though, he's going to have to reach further.

Review of Crazy Heart

The moment Bad Blake steps out of his beat-up station wagon in "Crazy Heart" he's got a bottle in his hand.

It's not a bottle of booze. That will come soon enough.

It's a bottle of pee, a gallon jug he's used to relieve himself on the long drive from one lousy gig to another.

That's how life is for Bad, a veteran country singer-songwriter whose career is near as battered as his aging body. He's been reduced to playing bowling alleys and remote bars, held back by his stubborn attitude, a fuzzy sense of "real" country idealism and more bottles of whiskey than he can count or remember.

But as played by Jeff Bridges, Bad is still inspired, at least when he's onstage and not completely snockered. And despite his wandering, cynical, booze-riddled ways, he's still capable of love.

He finds this out when he meets up with Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), an aspiring journalist who talks him into an interview just a while before he talks her into bed.

At first it's a long-distance sometime fling. But then as Bad spends more time with Jean and her young son, Buddy (Jack Nation), he and she start to think it's maybe something more.

"Crazy Heart" has two things going for it that lift it above your standard country drunk redemption story.

The first is Bridges, who seems to ooze Bad Blake from every pore -- his strengths and weaknesses, his irresponsibility and sorrow, his enthusiasm and plain stupidity.

Bridges is always a surprisingly natural actor -- heck, he even seemed natural playing an unnatural alien in "Starman." But here the dust of the road and the stench of the drink and thrill of the stage and the ache for love are palpable.

The other thing the movie has going for it in a big way is its music, presided over by T-Bone Burnett.

Since Bridges is the one singing and performing the music -- again with such an ease you'd swear he's been playing honky tonks all his life -- this becomes something of a career peak in a career with many peaks.

He doesn't do it alone, of course. Writer-director Scott Cooper, adapting Thomas Cobb's novel, shows a steady if unspectacular hand in guiding the film's somewhat predictable arc. And Gyllenhaal is in usually fine form. Toss in Robert Duvall as Bad's friend and conscience and a surprising Colin Farrell as a Bad protégé gone big and you've got a nice group effort.

But still, they're all playing beneath Bridges, as they should be. The movie is nothing but another drunk's story without him.

At age 60, Bridges has four prior Academy Award nominations and no wins. This should make it five and one.

Oscar loves abuse and redemption stories, Bridges has been one of the best and most unheralded actors around for four decades and it's hard to imagine he'll find a better role than this one in the coming years.

Then again, "Crazy Heart" is the sort of film that makes you think he just might. It's a bit too easy, a bit too familiar, and maybe even a bit too much fun. But the magic Bridges brings to the screen makes it all work.

Youth in Revolt review

Nick Twisp is living a teen nightmare.

His trailer-trash Mom (Jean Smart) is having an affair with a gross lout (Zach Galifianakis).

His unemployed Dad (Steve Buscemi) has hooked up with a bikinied babe (Ari Graynor) only a couple of years older than Nick.

And the girl of his dreams, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), already has a boyfriend.

What's a 14-year-old, hormonally infused, geeky guy to do?

Well, Nick's solution is simple: He invents an alter ego, Francois Dillinger, who is his opposite in every way. And then he follows all the bad-boy advice Francois can offer, which is plenty.

The adventures of Nick and Francois, played by Michael Cera and Michael Cera, make up the hilarious "Youth in Revolt," a madcap twist on the traditional loss-of-virginity film that has been filling multiplexes for the past three decades.

Directed by Miguel Arteta ("Chuck and Buck," "The Good Girl") and adapted by Gustin Nash ("Charlie Bartlett") from C.D. Payne's modern teen angst classic, "Youth in Revolt" starts out with a much classier pedigree than most such films. "Porky's" this ain't.

That pedigree is reinforced all the more by a stellar cast, which also includes Justin Long and veterans Fred Willard, Mary Kay Place, Ray Liotta and M. Emmet Walsh. Nobody scrimped on the talent here.

That said, this is Cera's movie (actually it's Cera and Cera's movie), the first time the "Superbad" and "Juno" star has been absolute front and center in a film. And he kills.

Yes, he's still playing Michael Cera. Who cares? Clint Eastwood is still playing Clint Eastwood, John Wayne always played John Wayne and Adam Sandler always plays Adam Sandler.

It's hard to tell if Cera's persona will be able to age as well as others -- he so epitomizes awkward youth it's hard to imagine him at 45. But then again, people are awkward at any age.

The nice thing about "Youth," though, is that it lets Cera parody his own naivete with the character of Francois, a good boy's idea of a bad boy.

In the midst of a seduction Francois will say something straight out of a bad French movie, and then Nick will haltingly check to make sure Francois hasn't gone too far. And whenever Francois takes Nick over to the dark side, you can sense our hero being torn between secret desire and common sense.

A lot of credit has to go to director Arteta here for keeping the interior tension going and the humor flowing while actually building Nick into a character you love.

True, it's mostly about the laughs, but Arteta keeps those laughs building, no easy trick.

For the geography-minded, the film -- for no real reason -- is supposed to take place in California, but it was shot in Michigan. Here's a surprise: Michigan looks nothing like California.

But again, who cares?

"Youth in Revolt" is a teen fantasy filled with lust, imagination, frustration and lots of laughs, artfully made and superbly played.

Let's hope it's a sign of things to come -- for Cera, movie audiences and 2010.

Best films of the decade

The best of the decade in film:

Best drama: "Michael Clayton" (2007) Writer-director Tony Gilroy's gripping look at corporate corruption had top-flight performances from George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson.

Best sci fi film: "Avatar" (2009) James Cameron takes special effects and cinematography to a whole new level while still dealing with serious themes in this grand space yarn.

Best comedy: "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (2006) Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen took to the streets in character as a clueless foreign reporter and ended up with an outrageous comedy that offered a scathing view of modern society.

Best romance: "Lars and the Real Girl" (2007) This touching and funny story about a shy young man (Ryan Gosling) in love with a life-sized doll was full of heart, and the cast -- " Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner -- was superb.

Best horror film: "The Descent" (2005) Writer-director Neil Marshall turns a women's caving expedition into a hellish nightmare, beginning with faint whispers and then letting the blood flow.

Best independent film: "Kill Bill: Vols 1 and 2" (2003-2004): Quentin Tarantino hit a delirious high with this epic about a female assassin (Uma Thurman) out for revenge, also offering David Carradine his first good role in years as the title character,

Best musical: "Moulin Rouge" (2001): Director Baz Luhrmann's skillful and dazzling mix of classic pop songs and Bohemian romance, starring a stunning Nicole Kidman and surprising Ewan MacGregor, started the decade off on a high note.

Best fantasy: "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001-2003): Director Peter Jackson epic recounting of the fantasy classic was endlessly inventive, visually splendid and filled with great characters and huge action sequences.

Best art house film: "Mulholland Drive" (2001): David Lynch's story of a young actress trying to survive in Hollywood reached logic-defying emotional crescendos while introducing the unknown Naomi Watts.

Best thriller: The "Bourne" movies (2002-2007): Writer Tony Gilroy, directors Doug Liman and especially Paul Greengrass, and star Matt Damon, showed that the thriller genre can leave you gasping for air even as it grapples with serious themes.

Male movie star of the decade: George Clooney, who brought long lost charm to leading man status while making some of the best films -- " "Michael Clayton," "Syriana," "Up in the Air," "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and "Good Night, and Good Luck" among them -- that hit theaters. All while doing humanitarian and political work.

Female movie star of the decade: Angelina Jolie, certainly the most high profile movie star alive. But Jolie is more than just a sex symbol, she's also an actress who's managed to bridge serious work ("A Mighty Heart," "Changeling") and action stardom ("Wanted," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Lara Croft"). Blend in her humanitarian work, all those kids and Brad, and she owned the decade.

Director of the decade: Steven Soderbergh, the filmmaker who bridges the ever-widening gap between studio films and independent art productions with the greatest ease. Soderbergh delivered major blockbusters like "Erin Brokovich," "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" movies while still working on curious oddities like "Bubble" and "The Girlfriend Experience." Nobody straddled and symbolized the split nature of modern filmmaking like Soderbergh.

Best films of the decade

The best of the decade in film:

Best drama: "Michael Clayton" (2007) Writer-director Tony Gilroy's gripping look at corporate corruption had top-flight performances from George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson.

Best sci fi film: "Avatar" (2009) James Cameron takes special effects and cinematography to a whole new level while still dealing with serious themes in this grand space yarn.

Best comedy: "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (2006) Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen took to the streets in character as a clueless foreign reporter and ended up with an outrageous comedy that offered a scathing view of modern society.

Best romance: "Lars and the Real Girl" (2007) This touching and funny story about a shy young man (Ryan Gosling) in love with a life-sized doll was full of heart, and the cast -- " Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner -- was superb.

Best horror film: "The Descent" (2005) Writer-director Neil Marshall turns a women's caving expedition into a hellish nightmare, beginning with faint whispers and then letting the blood flow.

Best independent film: "Kill Bill: Vols 1 and 2" (2003-2004): Quentin Tarantino hit a delirious high with this epic about a female assassin (Uma Thurman) out for revenge, also offering David Carradine his first good role in years as the title character,

Best musical: "Moulin Rouge" (2001): Director Baz Luhrmann's skillful and dazzling mix of classic pop songs and Bohemian romance, starring a stunning Nicole Kidman and surprising Ewan MacGregor, started the decade off on a high note.

Best fantasy: "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001-2003): Director Peter Jackson epic recounting of the fantasy classic was endlessly inventive, visually splendid and filled with great characters and huge action sequences.

Best art house film: "Mulholland Drive" (2001): David Lynch's story of a young actress trying to survive in Hollywood reached logic-defying emotional crescendos while introducing the unknown Naomi Watts.

Best thriller: The "Bourne" movies (2002-2007): Writer Tony Gilroy, directors Doug Liman and especially Paul Greengrass, and star Matt Damon, showed that the thriller genre can leave you gasping for air even as it grapples with serious themes.

Male movie star of the decade: George Clooney, who brought long lost charm to leading man status while making some of the best films -- " "Michael Clayton," "Syriana," "Up in the Air," "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and "Good Night, and Good Luck" among them -- that hit theaters. All while doing humanitarian and political work.

Female movie star of the decade: Angelina Jolie, certainly the most high profile movie star alive. But Jolie is more than just a sex symbol, she's also an actress who's managed to bridge serious work ("A Mighty Heart," "Changeling") and action stardom ("Wanted," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Lara Croft"). Blend in her humanitarian work, all those kids and Brad, and she owned the decade.

Director of the decade: Steven Soderbergh, the filmmaker who bridges the ever-widening gap between studio films and independent art productions with the greatest ease. Soderbergh delivered major blockbusters like "Erin Brokovich," "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" movies while still working on curious oddities like "Bubble" and "The Girlfriend Experience." Nobody straddled and symbolized the split nature of modern filmmaking like Soderbergh.

Top 10 films of 2009

As movie years go, 2009 wasn't particularly strong, although the very best films were quite good indeed, and the absolute best may well change what we come to expect from movies.

Two completely different flicks stood out among the year's cream of the crop. You might say "Up in the Air" is a film, while "Avatar" is a movie.

The film is a delicate balancing act, filled with nuance that mixes romance with questions of freedom, set against a background of economic and personal upheaval.

The movie, though, is a direct visceral experience the likes of which have never been seen before.

Like it or not -- and my vote is not -- contemporary cinema has become more a physical experience and amusement park ride than an arena for storytelling and consideration. People go to movies as events more than artistic engagements.

"Avatar" manages to be smart, compelling and humane while enveloping the viewer in a fantasy world so complete and dazzling that your senses are near-overwhelmed. It resets the bar for what audiences can, and should, expect from the moviegoing experience.

As such, it marks a change in cinema that merits the top spot on my annual list.

1. "Avatar" -- Director James Cameron took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to make this space epic, a movie so physically stunning that you get lost in it like nothing before. A classic story, following Cameron's familiar themes, set in a world that absorbs the viewer, it is full reminder of the power and potential of film.

2. "Up in the Air" -- George Clooney is pitch-perfect as the disconnected layoff specialist who spends most of his time on airplanes, above it all, until he runs into the woman (Vera Farmiga) who may be his equal. Director Jason Reitman delivers a balancing act that's part romantic comedy and part existential analysis set against our current economic despair.

3. "(500) Days of Summer" -- Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel sparkled in this witty and innovative film that flashed back and forth over the course of a love affair. The year's best romantic comedy, filled with well-observed moments, it also had the year's best dance sequence.

4. "Up" -- The magicians at Pixar set up a painfully poignant look back at a loving marriage and then sent an old man and a boy off into the sky, eventually landing them in a jungle adventure with talking dogs. Pixar's imagination and skills know few bounds.

5. "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" -- The performances by Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe and Mo'Nique in this gutwrenching tale of abuse and (possible) salvation in '80s Harlem were the best by women this year. And the film itself was potent stuff that cannot be ignored.

6. "A Serious Man" -- The Coen brothers' dark comic look at a Jewish math professor whose life goes wrong every time he turns around was filled with laugh-aloud moments, but had their hard, mean pulse beating underneath every scene.

7. "Funny People" -- Judd Apatow's look at the connections between mortality, love and humor took a brave, unexpected turn and had the guts to call a jerk a jerk no matter what the circumstances. His most mature film; and I can't believe I'm putting an Adam Sandler movie on this list.

8. "Brothers"/"The Messenger" -- These two films about the domestic impact of our wars abroad were released within days of one another here, and it was a powerful one-two punch. Serious, well-made dramas both, "Brothers" revolved around a traumatized soldier come home (Tobey Maguire), while "The Messenger" saw Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson notifying families of the death of a loved one. Yes, I'm cheating a bit here, but the films became a cumulative experience.

9. "Zombieland" -- Woody Harrelson again, this time leading a foursome on the run from flesh-eating zombies across the country in a comic horror road trip that was endlessly inventive. Big, gross fun.

10. "Inglourious Basterds" -- Quentin Tarantino's brash re-imagining of World War II didn't have much soul, but it had style like crazy. The story of Nazi-hunting Jewish commandos behind enemy lines had plenty of action, but even more so it had QT's trademark crackling dialogue and eccentric sense of character.