Critics Consensus: Darkness Balances on the Edge of Freshness
Plus, When in Rome gets tossed to the lions.
This week at the movies, we’ve got an angry detective (Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone) and a Roman holiday (When in Rome, starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel). What do the critics have to say?
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Edge of Darkness
It’s been nearly a decade since Mel Gibson has played a leading role onscreen. And critics say the reason Edge of Darkness works as well as it does is Gibson’s presence, which elevates the film above a run-of-the-mill revenge thriller. Based upon the 1980s British TV series of the same name (also directed by Martin Campbell, who helms here), Edge stars Gibson as a Boston detective filled with grief after the murder of his daughter. However, as he investigates, he learns her death is part of a larger conspiracy. The pundits say Gibson is in fine form, delivering a world-weary, compelling performance that mostly makes up for the film’s contrivances. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Gibsons’s best-reviewed films.)
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When in Rome
When in Rome attempts to meld romantic comedy and fairy tale tropes into a picturesque travelogue. However, critics say this long-delayed would-be confection is hardly worth the trip — it’s a forced and unconvincing attempt at whimsy that falls flat. Kristen Bell stars as Beth, a single gal who finds herself in a sticky situation: after removing coins from a “fountain of love” in the Eternal City, she’s followed back to New York by a string of obsessed suitors. The pundits say When in Rome is leaden, generic, and occasionally creepy, wasting an excellent cast (including Will Arnett, Anjelica Huston, and Danny DeVito) on a largely laugh-free script.
Also opening this week in limited release:
- North Face, a historical drama about a pair of climbers attempting to conquer a perilous peak in the Swiss Alps, is at 89 percent.
- Off and Running, documentary about a college track prospect grappling with her unconventional family life, is at 80 percent.
- The Israeli import For My Father, a drama about a suicide bomber who finds himself living among his purported targets, is at 50 percent.
- Saint John of Las Vegas, starring Steve Buscemi in a dramedy about a recovering compulsive gambler drawn back to Vegas, is at seven percent.
Finally, we’d like to send a big “EEYEAHH” to King Crunk (WHAT?!) for successfully guessing Legion‘s 17 percent Tomatometer. (OKAY!)
