The Pledge
|
Our Price: $49.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Pledge
Movie Review: An engrossing and powerful drama
Summary: 5 Stars
As a film lover who has despaired of seeing Jack Nicholson ever giving a fine performance again, I can happily report that his handling of the role of Jerry Black in this film is exceptionally fine. Not that 'The Pledge' is a star vehicle, despite his name appearing over the title.The writers and director (Sean Penn) have crafted an excellent film which is part thriller, part psychological drama. Nevada cop Jerry Black is only hours from retirement when he promises the mother of a murder victim that he will track down her young daughter's killer. Over the next two hours we travel with him on a journey of uncertainty as he probes deeply into other related murders (despite the case being officially closed), and even in retirement comes uncomfortably close to another potential victim.
The director and writers here wisely avoid two massive cliches that were waiting to happen, namely 'the weary cop striving to crack his last case before retirement', and 'the cop with a hunch failing to convince his sceptical superiors.' They instead tell a very different story, which far from being depressing, is gripping and keeps the audience guessing until the final scenes.
Sean Penn has done a superb job in involving the audience in this ultimately poignant and tragic film, and has been rewarded with wonderful performances from Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, and several other famous actors in small but critical roles (hardly cameos, as their involvement is crucial to the plot). These include fine parts for Helen Mirren, Vanessa Redgrave and Harry Dean Stanton, a superb performance from Mickey Rourke, and a bizarre one from Benicio del Toro, who is sadly underused.
The DVD looks superb: a crystal clear and vivid anamorphic 2.35:1 image, which shows off the breathtaking photography of rural Nevada. Virtually a state-of-the-art transfer, in fact. The use of the camera is very imaginative throughout, and the editing is crisply compelling.
The sound is also excellent. There are no explosions, car chases or shoot-outs in this film, so the soundtrack merely has to support the excellent dialogue and eclectic music score, and succeeds on every level. Apart from the trailer and cast profiles there are no extras.
Sean Penn has made an outstanding film, and with so much dross currently being released by Hollywood, I strongly recommend this DVD to all lovers of powerful cinema.
Movie Review: I suggest all cops quit, resign, retire: Few citizens truly care what you do.
Summary: 5 Stars
After seeing and musing the import of this movie I have determined primarily that Nicholson is the consummate actor. Jack may be a nut or a tad eccentric in real life but he's no Roman Polanski....
The reason I gave the title of my review the fourteen textual units is this simple equation: cops care. Or shall I say, those that don't become corrupt politicians (generally, upper echelon), felons, or suicidal/alcohol/drug-infused, stupefied meltdowns.
Most honorable cops consider the 'career' an admirable profession: unlike the 'jobs' that the rabble that comprise our rapidly, exponentially impelled; otherwise imploding, third-world simplistic mentality society.
What I mean by this statement is, many honorable policeman consider [all that it entails] the profession to be a supreme distinction to throw their lives in the face of danger to persons unknown to them: regardless of status. Sure, it is an ideal. When is the last time a true hero (not the many shrinking violets) of todays proceedings accomplished this?
Cowards comprise many aspects of today's proceedings: mettle or courage is scarce.
I have often said that our creator could place an "angel" in uniform [in many of our large American cities today] and they would become corrupted with the continual onslaught of the rancid black bile of personally targeted human malice: Goodness, decency, and integrity from a policeman's perspective is rare indeed.
Nicholson contends with what I just alluded to, albeit on a smaller yet more intimate scale. His character embarks on the very personal mission to find a killer: A promise made.
As depicted by this movie, the price of justice is often horrific. One mans horrendous yet overly due death is also the demise of a shining example of the relentless pursuit of the notion of justice. The allegorical death of a decent soul ruined by the excursion is the aftermath.
Buy this movie, watch it, and think deeply about the unfairness of this game called life. Comprehend the concept of an honorable thin-blue-line separating the malaise from you. Evil in all forms wins most of the time.
However, I realize far too many dolts (one is too many), simply don't care until tragedy strikes directly at ones' door . . .
By then it is too late.
Movie Review: The story is being told while you follow the "plot"
Summary: 5 Stars
Those poor souls who think a movie is "for entertainment purposes only" can only handle one narrow form of entertainment -- will the good guys win? This film not only answers this question -- the bad guy loses, but the good guys don't "win" -- it also takes in the world outside your movie theater (or home) as part of engaging you. Why did Penn linger so long on things unrelated to the mystery or chase? The answer is in the "long" -- he lets the settings and music lull you into wishing the whole crime could be forgotten, the hero could enjoy his retirement. We see the life any non-cop might enjoy. But since he's a cop, the world is still not "right" to him until he resolves this crime; then, perhaps, he may enjoy the beauty of the place he's chosen. At the same time, we understand how this beauty is threatened by crime; his choice may be inevitable. He does everything he knows is right, yet the world has its own way of resolving the problem without regard to his needs. The prologue doesn't "telegraph" or give away anything. It tells us not to expect the wrong resolution, and expect slick-suspense-movie action. Nicholson is obviously tormenting himself over something that went wrong, so that we can then watch for what he did to make it go wrong. That's the REAL mystery. He has a beautiful retired life, and a chance to use his skills to heal both a shattered family and his own misgivings at turning his job over to lesser men. Being a cop, he may not see it, but these hopes are in tension; whether or not he does anything about it. Being a cop, he sets himself up to pay a worse personal price than any of us might. He had thought of everything, planned masterfully; ... what WAS the problem? The pledge itself; not just the one over this crime, but the one he implicitly made when he first took the job. He cannot perfectly honor it. See how YOU would test yourself against it! The universe is harder than we are, but also more forgiving, a very hard lesson for the ultimate system of rational hopes: criminal justice. THAT'S why Penn takes his time: to let what's at stake sink in, and THAT'S what the film is about. And all this came to me solely through feeling it, as I watched. Penn's intuition is dead-on accurate.Movie Review: Difficult, painful and hard to forget
Summary: 5 Stars
One of 2001's most underappreciated films, The Pledge is a very unforgiving and dark examination of the consequences of promises that cannot be kept. The brutal murder of children is a chilling and horrendous subject matter but Sean Penn directs the film with great restraint and intelligence. We hear about the crimes and occasionally see some grisly photos (reason enough for the film to receive an "R" rating in Australia) but no actual violence is shown. The result is horrific enough to make most of the film especially uncomfortable but gripping viewing.
Rather than being a straightforward mystery thriller (there are moments of intense and gutwrenching suspense, particularly the scene where Nicholson is racing to the church, you'll know when you see it), this is a bleak but rewarding character study of an obsession that goes too far. Sean Penn's last two films were about redemption, this one goes in an opposite direction resulting in an ending that has divided many people. I actually loved it as it stays and stays with you long after the film has finished. It's cinematically unsatisfying and frustratingly ambiguous but it didnt stop bothering me. A more conventional, audience friendly ending would have lent the film a great disservice since the screenplay is so well written and main characters so well established with their moral dilemnas, especially Jack Nicholson's Jerry Black, one of the more complex and compelling characters that he has ever played. Nicholson's performance greatly compliments Penn's direction; its his least showy, least hammy and best acting performance ever. He seems utterly convincing as a retired cop possibly descending into insanity.
The Pledge also benefits greatly from one of Hans Zimmer's (along with Klaus Badelt)most haunting soundtracks, perfectly establishing the mood of beauty and danger in the Nevada settings. Not only is Sean Penn a great actor but after this film, he could well go onto becoming a formidable filmaker. The Pledge is a brave film that deserves a better audience than it has received and proof that not all really good films need to have cut and paste characters, a predictable plot and neat, tidy ending.
Movie Review: Classic Tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
The Pledge is about man's inadequacy to explain and contain evil. It is in the Greek sense, a Classic Tragedy. The lead character, Jerry, is a detective whose professional life has been dedicated to methodically tracing and capturing bad guys. He was "brilliant" by his own colleagues' estimation. But when faced with true evil- the serial murder/rape of young girls- he finds himself lost, even as he applies his well-honed detective skills, building a growing body of circumstantial evidence and triangulating Evil's suspected whereabouts, placing himself right in the middle to ensure Evil's capture.
Jerry is a wise and cynical man, at the end of his career, having witnessed man's various depravities, scams, and failures. Over those years he also developed a deep compassion, distinguished apart from his insensitive colleagues and the reflexive flock-like mentality of society. But his compassion and intuition do not avail Jerry, and in fact backfire on him as his personal life progressively disintegrates the closer he seemingly gets to the culprit, eventually losing his friends and lover, who all become captive and subordinate to his obsession.
We cannot fault Jerry; his last case is simply out of his league. The mountainous landscape as a backdrop to the film serves to punctuate man's impotence in the face of Evil's basic structure within the timeless order of nature. Jerry's Pledge to capture Evil could only end in failure. Evil is larger than any of us. Any attempts to pursue and fathom Evil with our senses must lead to madness. Evil cannot be extinguished, nor even trapped, as Fate will deliver the means for Evil to escape and endure.
The plot is timeless and builds purposefully, the acting is superb, and the directing clean and modest with a few creative flourishes, alongside a poignant soundtrack and cinematography. 5 stars.