Mel Gibson has been the subject of many column inches for all the wrong reasons over the last decade. Whether because of his heavily controversial but excellent "The Passion of the Christ" film or the accusations of anti-semitism, Mel Gibson the action hero and brilliant leading man has been out of view for quite a while...until now!

Gibson is back doing what he does best with this remake of the 1980's BBC television series of the same name; here we get a glimpse of what a modern day Martin Riggs or Max Rockatansky (from "Lethal Weapon" and "Mad Max" respectively) might be like should Gibson reprise either role.

Gibson is Thomas Craven, a Boston detective whose daughter Emma is killed in front of him while she visits home after taking time off work. The nature of Emma's work is top secret and initial reports suggest that her killing was perpetrated by thugs with a grudge against her father but further investigation will point to the fact that her killing suggests a far greater mystery which leads all the way up to the higher echelons of power.

Craven delves deeper into the mystery surrounding his daughter's brutal slaying and he comes into contact with a variety of shady characters; from high powered businessmen, government officials and some particularly nasty henchmen but most importantly he meets CIA operative Matt Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), whose job is to cover up scandals which could lead back to Washington. The two men share a level of both disdain and respect for each other and while it is Jedburgh's job to persuade him otherwise, Craven stops at nothing to uncover who killed his daughter and why and what really was the nature of her work.

"Edge of Darkness" was directed by Martin Campbell, a journeyman filmaker who has directed some rather dire blockbusters ("Goldeneye", "Casino Royale", "The Mask of Zorro") and truly awful studio stinkers ("No Escape", "Vertical Limit") but here he manages a nice mixture of intrigue and mystery with some bone-crunching violence. Like Campbell's Bond entries the film is expertly crafted but unlike those he thankfully keeps the action relatively brief and doesn't throw in too many mind-numbing scenes of unnecessary carnage or stunts, a fate which could have befallen this material in the hands of another director.

The film can be predictable in places and suffers from a case of what I call "know the actor, know the outcome", where you know that certain character actors only appear in certain movies in certain types of roles; I will go no further than that but my instincts were once again proven right. It's a pity because the storyline and the central mystery are genunely interesting but the predictable nature of some of the casting rendered the outcome somewhat unsurprising.

Fans of the TV version will know the secrets that are uncovered and the storyline inside-out, but for newcomers this is an intriguing political thriller with a raw, violent edge and a welcome return to form for Mel Gibson.

****

The Apartment

Director: Billy Wilder

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine, Fred MacMurray

Testament to it's enduring popularity, Billy Wilder's famed comic-drama is a regular sight on the revival circuit and it is once again getting a big screen showing thanks to The Riverbank Theatre's dedication to screening classic cinema.

Jack Lemmon is Bud Baxter, an office minion at a huge insurance company whose friendliness and loyalty is taken advantage of. His bosses use his Upper West Side apartment for all their indiscretions and Bud is too afraid to say no the powers that be in the hope that it will put him in line for a promotion. Bud has a crisis of conscience after falling for his boss Mr Sheldrake's mistress, the lowly but head-strong elevator worker Fran Kubelik. Bud must now risk his future at the company by standing up to his bosses if he and Fran are to follow their hearts desires.

Billy Wilder has mastered many genres, from sex farce ("Some Like it Hot", "The Seven Year Itch") to film noir ("Sunset Boulevard", "Double Indemnity") and here he satirizes office life by portraying Bud as a subordinate bore in a thankless job to both brilliant dramatic and comic effect. The mundanity of Bud's life can be quite depressing and he and Maclaine don't quite sparkle on-screen together at times but the office scenes with Bud and his bosses are terrifically witty. While not Wilder's best work it is a great satire which celebrates the joys of love in the face of pressures arising from work and class issues.
The Apartment will be screened at The Riverbank Theatre on February 3rd at 2pm. Tickets cost n4 or free for over 65's.

****