"The Pledge"
Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) is only hours away from retirement with the Reno, Nevada police department when he learns of the brutal murder and rape of a little girl in a nearby town. Drawn to the case like a firehouse horse to flame, Jerry helps with the investigation and volunteers to tell the girl's parents of her death. He opens a Pandora's box of problems for himself, though, when he vows to find the murderer in Sean Penn's "The Pledge."
Director Penn, from the start of his helming career with "Indian Runner" through "The Crossing Guard" and now with "The Pledge," has proven to be a serious filmmaker who knows his craft, but fails to give a range of emotion to his work. He explores the darker side of life in all of his behind-the-camera efforts and provides a good character showcase for his stars, but he is too earnest in his efforts. As such, there is a relentless quality to "The Pledge" as we see Jerry vow, on his mortal soul, to find the killer of little Ginny.
The stage is set within minutes that this is the story of a man, a cop for a lifetime, facing the unknowns of retirement. Like an old bloodhound too tired to continue but too proud to quit, Jerry, in his waning hours as a police detective, latches on to his last case - the brutal murder of the little girl. The case becomes an obsession for the ex-cop when he pledges to the girl's mother, on a cross Ginny made herself, to solve the case, no matter what. It's a character study by Nicholson that falters only a little along the way and is a nice departure from his usual "Jack."
Joining Nicholson is a collection of actors who settle nicely into the film tapestry created by Penn and his companions. Robin Wright Penn goes out on a limb, forgoing glamour for gritty in her perf as a bruised and battered woman and mother who accepts Jerry's offer of protection from further abuse. Wright Penn gives an arc to her role as Lori, who trusts Jerry implicitly only to have that trust tested by his obsessive dedication to fulfill his pledge to another. When Lori sees that Jerry put her daughter, Chrissy (Pauline Roberts), in harms way to honor his promise, she, too, sees the depth of his obsession. Aaron Eckhart is serviceable as Jerry's former partner, Stan Krolak). Benicio Del Toro gives yet another different performance to his growing resume of character roles.
It's amusing to see the star power of someone like Sean Penn when he builds a project like "The Pledge." Besides his second time collaboration with Nicholson, the helmer attracts a bevy of name actors who fill in the small and cameo roles in a who's who of Hollywood. Vanessa Redgrave lends her grand dame personage to the touching performances as little Ginny's grandma. Also appearing are Sam Shepard, Mickey Rourke, Harry Dean Stanton, Tom Noonan and Helen Mirren in a variety of small perfs that help flesh out the background of "The Pledge."
The story is adapted by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski from the novel by Friedrich Duerrenmatt. The tale is many things, besides its character study by Nicholson, including investigation of murder and the search for a child killer. There is an obviousness to the story, not unlike Jerry's own, that make the unraveling of false leads and would-be killers a device used to misdirect the viewer from the real killer. The ambiguity of the ending and Jerry's plunge into mental collapse make "The Pledge" more interesting as a character study than a murder yarn.
The techs behind the camera are outstanding. Chris Menges provides unconventional photography that pulls you in close to the action, using the camera to give very different points of view. Production design is striking, at times, especially when Jerry goes the turkey ranch owned by Ginny's parents. In a brief moment of humor, the turkeys appear to be gathered to hear Jerry's bad news, holding on to his every word. It's a striking image.
Helmer Penn knows his craft and how to get good perfs from his actors. His unrelenting stalwartness as a director is keeping him from infusing humanity into his directing work, though, and he keeps the viewer at arm's length throughout his telling. Good acting, especially from Jack Nicholson, helps save the day and I give "The Pledge" a B.
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