Rating- * * * * (4/5)
Remember those diamonds in the rough I was talking about? This was definitely a rare gem in the otherwise hollow cavern that is 2001. Ironically, it was probably the least hyped and worst advertised movie of the year. I certainly didn’t see any trailers or television ads for it. In fact, I would never have even heard of it if my boss didn’t lend it to me over the summer. Needless, to say I had no expectations one way or the other. This is the first movie I have seen with Sean Penn in the director’s chair, although he’s had others. I was completely blown away. Stylistically, Penn creates a wandering, slow pace, which fits beautifully with the tone of the film but probably accounts for the low box-office sales and low appeal to the casual moviegoer. I won’t give away the story because knowing who is who and what is real or imagined is half the movie. The basic storyline involves Jack Nicholson as a soon-to-be-retired detective in a small Nevada town. On his last day of work, Nicholson, feeling down about leaving his old, familiar job, decides to take one last case. It’s a particularly gruesome rape/murder of a young girl. Energized with a sense of heroism and purpose, Nicholson swears to the girl’s mother on the fate of his own soul that he will find her daughter’s killer. As the case unfolds, several suspects come into play, including a mentally retarded psychotic played brilliantly by Benicio Del Torro in what I believe is the best performance of his career. The rest of the film follows Nicholson’s slow and gradual progression into insanity. It is always difficult to verbalize a mood in a film, and The Pledge is no exception. I can say, however, that the mood is distinctly unique and unlike any film I’ve seen. This is one that I wouldn’t recommend for the typical moviegoer, but it’s definitely a must-see for all film lovers.