The Pledge
3/4
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright, Pauline Roberts, Aaron Eckhart
Rated R for Strong Violence and Language
"The Pledge" is a film about obsession. It understands that there are things in life that we can't let go of, hunches we can't ignore, and gut feelings that won't go away. Vicious crimes are horrible, but lingering, unanswered questions are worse.
Jerry Black (Nicholson) is six hours away from a well earned retirement of fishing and solitude. While at his retirement party, word gets around that a young girl was found brutally raped and murdered. Jerry isn't quite ready to hang up the badge and the gun, so he tags along. He has the unenviable task of breaking the news to the girl's parents (Patricia Clarkson and Michael O'Keefe). The girl's mother makes him swear that he will catch the killer. Jerry agrees.
The next day, a man named Toby Jay Wadenah (Benicio del Toro) is brought in as a suspect in the murder. He confesses, then blows his brains out. Everyone considers the case closed and moves on with their lives. Only Jerry isn't convinced. There are nagging doubts in his mind, and the deeper he digs, the more he is convinced that the real killer was never caught. And is hunting for his next victim.
Anyone expecting a white-knuckler thriller a la "Seven" or "The Silence of the Lambs" is going to be disappointed if not completely bored. It's not that kind of movie. "The Pledge" moves at a deliberate pace. Director Sean Penn takes his time (too much time, if you ask me) so that we are drawn into Jerry's mindset. Jerry is capable of moving on with his life, but every now and then something arouses his suspicions. But the question is this: is there really a serial killer lurking about, or is Jerry paranoid, bored or just unwilling to let the past die? Or worse, is he disintegrating mentally?
Jack Nicholson has made a career out of playing colorful, larger-than-life characters, so it's a change of pace for him to play someone so low-key and subdued. It's not one of his best performances, as there are times when he slips into just being Jack, but he's quite good here. He's surrounded by a talented cast that includes: Robin Wright, Aaron Eckhart, Patricia Clarkson, Dale Dickey, Costas Mandylor, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Michael O'Keefe, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Eileen Ryan, Sam Shepard, Lois Smith and Harry Dean Stanton. Few other than Robin Wright hang around for more than a scene or two, but they do their jobs well enough that "The Pledge" never becomes a game of "spot the star."
This was a passion project for director Sean Penn and star Jack Nicholson. That explains how it got made, especially the way that it did. This is not an easy film to describe, much less sell. Indeed, nearly every studio shied away from the project until it was picked up by producer Elie Samaha, who put it into production at Franchise Pictures. I'm not surprised that this film had trouble getting the green light. This isn't about plot, and while the film does contain scenes of tension, it's mostly set to a low simmer. This is a movie about mood (as you might imagine, it's not a particularly happy movie).
"The Pledge" is not a flawless movie. For one thing, it's about ten minutes too long. Shaving a few scenes off here and there would have given the film a tighter focus without losing the introspection that Penn is going for. I also am left wondering what to make of the ending. Does it have meaning, or is it simply tragic irony? I'm not sure.
This is not a movie for everyone, nor was it ever intended to be. But for what it is, I enjoyed it.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright, Pauline Roberts, Aaron Eckhart
Rated R for Strong Violence and Language
"The Pledge" is a film about obsession. It understands that there are things in life that we can't let go of, hunches we can't ignore, and gut feelings that won't go away. Vicious crimes are horrible, but lingering, unanswered questions are worse.
Jerry Black (Nicholson) is six hours away from a well earned retirement of fishing and solitude. While at his retirement party, word gets around that a young girl was found brutally raped and murdered. Jerry isn't quite ready to hang up the badge and the gun, so he tags along. He has the unenviable task of breaking the news to the girl's parents (Patricia Clarkson and Michael O'Keefe). The girl's mother makes him swear that he will catch the killer. Jerry agrees.
The next day, a man named Toby Jay Wadenah (Benicio del Toro) is brought in as a suspect in the murder. He confesses, then blows his brains out. Everyone considers the case closed and moves on with their lives. Only Jerry isn't convinced. There are nagging doubts in his mind, and the deeper he digs, the more he is convinced that the real killer was never caught. And is hunting for his next victim.
Anyone expecting a white-knuckler thriller a la "Seven" or "The Silence of the Lambs" is going to be disappointed if not completely bored. It's not that kind of movie. "The Pledge" moves at a deliberate pace. Director Sean Penn takes his time (too much time, if you ask me) so that we are drawn into Jerry's mindset. Jerry is capable of moving on with his life, but every now and then something arouses his suspicions. But the question is this: is there really a serial killer lurking about, or is Jerry paranoid, bored or just unwilling to let the past die? Or worse, is he disintegrating mentally?
Jack Nicholson has made a career out of playing colorful, larger-than-life characters, so it's a change of pace for him to play someone so low-key and subdued. It's not one of his best performances, as there are times when he slips into just being Jack, but he's quite good here. He's surrounded by a talented cast that includes: Robin Wright, Aaron Eckhart, Patricia Clarkson, Dale Dickey, Costas Mandylor, Helen Mirren, Tom Noonan, Michael O'Keefe, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Eileen Ryan, Sam Shepard, Lois Smith and Harry Dean Stanton. Few other than Robin Wright hang around for more than a scene or two, but they do their jobs well enough that "The Pledge" never becomes a game of "spot the star."
This was a passion project for director Sean Penn and star Jack Nicholson. That explains how it got made, especially the way that it did. This is not an easy film to describe, much less sell. Indeed, nearly every studio shied away from the project until it was picked up by producer Elie Samaha, who put it into production at Franchise Pictures. I'm not surprised that this film had trouble getting the green light. This isn't about plot, and while the film does contain scenes of tension, it's mostly set to a low simmer. This is a movie about mood (as you might imagine, it's not a particularly happy movie).
"The Pledge" is not a flawless movie. For one thing, it's about ten minutes too long. Shaving a few scenes off here and there would have given the film a tighter focus without losing the introspection that Penn is going for. I also am left wondering what to make of the ending. Does it have meaning, or is it simply tragic irony? I'm not sure.
This is not a movie for everyone, nor was it ever intended to be. But for what it is, I enjoyed it.
Comments
Post a Comment