Mel Gibson makes a welcome return to the big screen with this, a remake of an acclaimed BBC miniseries from the 1980s which has the same director in Martin Campbell. I hadn't seen the original version, but I saw that William Monahan was present as screenwriter and after enjoying his previous remake (THE DEPARTED) I thought I'd probably like this one. I was wrong. I didn't just like this – I loved it! This film contains everything I love about thrillers: a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels, sinister guys in black suits and 4x4s with tinted windows always in the background, a lone hero looking for justice, and a few blistering action sequences thrown in for good measure.
The story of a father seeking justice for his murdered daughter is nothing new, but the intelligent and literate script breathes life into the tired premise and makes it seem fresh once more. Despite the presence of some brief, decent action (a fight that recalls the one in QUANTUM OF SOLACE and a car stunt that recalls the one in CASINO ROYALE) this is more of a thinking man's thriller as our hero tries to make sense of jigsaw clues and a conspiracy blackout.
Gibson has long been one of my favourite presences in Hollywood. His films, whether as director or actor, always seem to have heart and I hope his new Viking movie ends up getting made. He's on top form here as the grieving father, accessing some really dark areas and at the same time providing some touching moments when he sees his daughter before him. The supporting cast is also fine, with stand-out turns from Danny Huston as the slimy suited bad guy and Ray Winstone as an ambivalent figure, the kind who "stops you connecting A to B".
The best presence of all is that of Martin Campbell, who directs a film that's extremely polished and well made, with every scene crafted so that it's just right. The climax is inevitable but well handled and it's nice to see the bad guys getting their just deserts in such a well-filmed way. Definitely one of the year's best, this.
The story of a father seeking justice for his murdered daughter is nothing new, but the intelligent and literate script breathes life into the tired premise and makes it seem fresh once more. Despite the presence of some brief, decent action (a fight that recalls the one in QUANTUM OF SOLACE and a car stunt that recalls the one in CASINO ROYALE) this is more of a thinking man's thriller as our hero tries to make sense of jigsaw clues and a conspiracy blackout.
Gibson has long been one of my favourite presences in Hollywood. His films, whether as director or actor, always seem to have heart and I hope his new Viking movie ends up getting made. He's on top form here as the grieving father, accessing some really dark areas and at the same time providing some touching moments when he sees his daughter before him. The supporting cast is also fine, with stand-out turns from Danny Huston as the slimy suited bad guy and Ray Winstone as an ambivalent figure, the kind who "stops you connecting A to B".
The best presence of all is that of Martin Campbell, who directs a film that's extremely polished and well made, with every scene crafted so that it's just right. The climax is inevitable but well handled and it's nice to see the bad guys getting their just deserts in such a well-filmed way. Definitely one of the year's best, this.