THE PLEDGE

With Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Aaron Eckhart, Sam Shepard, Benicio del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Tom Noonan, Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Sean Penn

Nicholson plays a freshly retired cop who is haunted by a case arriving during his last few hours of service. A promise by the murdered girl's mother drives him to obsession - not clear whether it's a matter of duty, conscience or retirement anxiety. He finds clues that suggest a pattern, but his now ex-colleagues feel that the case is closed (a confessed suspect having committed suicide). He ventures out and buys an old gas station where a single mother moves in with him (after she got beaten up by her ex). He still feels the killer is out there and maybe, just maybe they'll met at this cross-road. Jack is Jack and he knows it. Bubbling under the slow, older and troubled character the old Jack seems to threaten making himself present. Several small roles by great actors in single scenes add immense weight to the film's impact. Penn's direction is dark and calculated while the writing avoids recipes that would normally slip in during a serial killer story. While many character driven set-ups are present, it's not a kitsch Murder She Wrote scenario, but more of an if, when and how...and then it takes a turn... An amazing cast, stellar performances and slow, serious pace leaves the viewer with a rich (but painful) experience and a sense of dread.

4 / C
- PB

1 2 3 4 5 6
A - B - C