THE PLEDGE

2001

If you've heard that this detective story is somber and depressing (and it is,) don't let that keep you from seeing what is an extraordinary film. It's worth it just to see Jack Nicholson IMPLODE on screen rather than EXPLODE, as he usually does. Sean Penn who has proven himself to be a first-class director pulls an Oscar-worthy performance out of Nicholson. Taken from a classic story by Swiss author Fredrich Duerenmatt(author of The Visit,) this psychological thriller tells the story of a cop who has just retired but just can't let go of his last case, and becomes obsessively drawn into a dangerous downward spiral. To quibble a bit about a near-perfect film, things that are usually considered to be plusses in a movie, in this one, come close to detracting from it. For instance, the movie is so stylishly filmed (camera angles, settings, etc.)and brilliantly acted by a series of great actors doing what amount to cameo performances(Benicio Del Toro, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Helen Mirren, Harry Dean Stanton, Aaron Eckhardt, Patricia Clarkson and Robin Wright Penn) that these almost stop the natural arc of the story. They're that good...and that distracting. Nevertheless, the movie year gets off to a bang with this fine film.

5 Stars

NJB