← Back to Reviews
in
The Edge (1997, Lee Tamahori)
Well one thing is for certain, David Mamet can write one hell of a picture. Actually The Edge doesn't even come close to showcasing the writer's true talent, but there's hints at it, and there's also hints that this movie may have been slightly changed to water down the satire and psychological warfare between Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.
This is their movie really, and a showcase for two wonderful actors, but the wilderness always looms. Part of the movie plays like a satire of nature survival movies. The plot is very, very simple. Hopkins is a billionaire who's young wife married him for the money. He's tagging along with her by offering his own jet to fly her along with her photographer (Baldwin) and staff for a photo-shoot up in Alaska. The audience never figures out why Hopkins is a billionaire, but I get the sense he's not a self-made man - which explains why he has so much time to read on any subject. His all-knowing character is more of a lawful and subdued Hannibal Lector if you will.
While Hopkin's is good, Baldwin is excellent in the movie as he plays the right note between admiration and jealousy and is completely believable as being stranded in the wilderness with an internal conflict - to kill or not to kill the rich old billionaire and marry his wife.
The movie doesn't go far enough with this angle which is probably my biggest complaint. There is some excellent stuff going on here as Hopkins knows Baldwin's character wants to murder him. This could have played out like Sleuth set in the wilderness, but it's turns into more of a satire on wilderness flicks. Yes there's the bear, the necessity of fire, the compass made from scratch scene and so on. It's easy to see that these moments in the film are second nature. Actor Harold Perrineau (excellent in Romeo + Juliet and "Lost") shows up but is playing the token third man part so we know he's going to die first. It doesn't even ring a shed of emotion - other than laughter - when he is brutally mauled and toss around by a bear.
I enjoyed this movie. I appreciate the ending. A lesser film would have featured the climax with the battle between the two men and the bear. The Edge gets this out of the way at around the 3/4 mark, so it can focus on what the film is really about. It is also noteworthy to add how delightful it was to see the writing not take a cliche' turn when the victimizer needs the victim - when Alec Baldwin's attempt doesn't go quite as planned. Instead of using this moment to have Hopkins play the ill-slighted man who now has the last laugh, it plays out something like a scenario may in real life. All around a very good movie, with some wasted potential and genuinely silly moments. And the last moments of the film with Hopkins coming back alive to a media frenzy and the "warm" arms of his wife should have been more cerebral. Oh well.
Grade: B-
Well one thing is for certain, David Mamet can write one hell of a picture. Actually The Edge doesn't even come close to showcasing the writer's true talent, but there's hints at it, and there's also hints that this movie may have been slightly changed to water down the satire and psychological warfare between Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.
This is their movie really, and a showcase for two wonderful actors, but the wilderness always looms. Part of the movie plays like a satire of nature survival movies. The plot is very, very simple. Hopkins is a billionaire who's young wife married him for the money. He's tagging along with her by offering his own jet to fly her along with her photographer (Baldwin) and staff for a photo-shoot up in Alaska. The audience never figures out why Hopkins is a billionaire, but I get the sense he's not a self-made man - which explains why he has so much time to read on any subject. His all-knowing character is more of a lawful and subdued Hannibal Lector if you will.
While Hopkin's is good, Baldwin is excellent in the movie as he plays the right note between admiration and jealousy and is completely believable as being stranded in the wilderness with an internal conflict - to kill or not to kill the rich old billionaire and marry his wife.
The movie doesn't go far enough with this angle which is probably my biggest complaint. There is some excellent stuff going on here as Hopkins knows Baldwin's character wants to murder him. This could have played out like Sleuth set in the wilderness, but it's turns into more of a satire on wilderness flicks. Yes there's the bear, the necessity of fire, the compass made from scratch scene and so on. It's easy to see that these moments in the film are second nature. Actor Harold Perrineau (excellent in Romeo + Juliet and "Lost") shows up but is playing the token third man part so we know he's going to die first. It doesn't even ring a shed of emotion - other than laughter - when he is brutally mauled and toss around by a bear.
I enjoyed this movie. I appreciate the ending. A lesser film would have featured the climax with the battle between the two men and the bear. The Edge gets this out of the way at around the 3/4 mark, so it can focus on what the film is really about. It is also noteworthy to add how delightful it was to see the writing not take a cliche' turn when the victimizer needs the victim - when Alec Baldwin's attempt doesn't go quite as planned. Instead of using this moment to have Hopkins play the ill-slighted man who now has the last laugh, it plays out something like a scenario may in real life. All around a very good movie, with some wasted potential and genuinely silly moments. And the last moments of the film with Hopkins coming back alive to a media frenzy and the "warm" arms of his wife should have been more cerebral. Oh well.
Grade: B-