The Pledge (2001)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

(Originally reviewed: 10/02/2017) Nicholson's performance is one of his best, and almost as harrowing and intense as his role as Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Sean Penn's direction is extremely impressive, he proves he can direct a film as well as he can act; and Penn a very good actor takes what he has learned about film and makes a film that is memorable from start to finish, even if it might put some people off, considering the nature of the story; it's a strong piece of filmmaking with locations that fit the story and the tone of the picture perfectly.The story is like you would expect but with plotting that is not just unpredictable but most impressive, the second half is equally as good as the first and the pace is purposely slow burning at times, to pause for some psychological effects between the character's and what's happening on screen; Nicholson's contained performance is absolutely brilliant, his sheer intensity and traumatic expression are impressive; and there's a very good sequence where he finds out Lori's daughter has gone to church with a priest, and the look on his face is haunting, especially seeing him rushing around, trying to get to the church before it's too late, and after he drives across a ton of meadows and fields, you are in for a surprise that will either shock you or at the very least make you jump .The supporting cast are truly gripping; among it are Aaron Eckhart (Stan/ Jerry's police partner), Robin Wright Penn (Lori), and Patricia Clarkson Margaret Larson (mother of the child that was killed), Helen Mirren as a Doctor, Benicio Del Toro as Toby Jay, a convicted nutcase accused of the murder and even Mickey Rourke who play's Jim, a man interviewed by Jerry half way through, which leads to some strong acting from Rourke, which actually surprised me. There's plenty of other good performances too, that's exactly what a great film requires, great acting, story and script, and this has all three; and talking of the script, it's originally haunting and solidly written.The score is steady and atmospheric, the film feels as if anything could happen at any time during the conclusion and putting the pieces together is well worthwhile, if you like a film that requires thinking. This is exactly my type of film, a smart, atmospheric one, with strong performances and a haunting, surprise ending that is coherent, memorable and leaves you with the feeling that you have just seen a great film; some people may not get this picture, but for those who do, you're in for an underrated masterpiece.

How does a fine actor direct a film where he elicits unforgettable performances from ten, or so, of the best actors alive on the planet in service of a compelling story, yet end up with a 5 star film? Start with a decent script in crying need of a final rewrite; proceed with cinematography that rolls from redundantly hyper-dramatic to b-roll mediocrity of a bad travelogue, then edit the film with disrespect for the pace that the characters are driving the action.If you like great acting you'll love this film; if you love great films, you'll hate it. I loved and hated "The Pledge." It a disaster of spectacular potential. 5/10

'The Pledge' works largely because so much of it is playing with the expectations and prejudices of it's audience.Nicholson stars as a retiring cop who has one last case. Sound familiar? It feels like a police drama for a lot of it until the last act which I think would have made a far more interesting film had it been expanded into a full length story. Nicholson's character is obsessed with finding a serial killer who may or may not exist. He comes to the point where he seduces a bartender to use her little girl as bait to catch the killer. This is where the movie turns and becomes fresh. It's an understated performance and a sad character Nicholson brings to life. One gets the feeling the movie is as much about aging and find a way to stay relevant.It also has an outstanding supporting cast loaded with top notch character actors. Aaron Eckhardt, Sam Shepherd, Helen Mirren, Costas Mandylor, Mickey Rourke, Patricia Clarkson, Tom Noonan all turn in memorable scenes. My one gripe is that it is far too clean looking a movie. It has that same pristine look that a lot of the thrillers from the early 00's have. There's no atmosphere in the lighting or cinematography. The main thing is it's color palette is so bland. This could have been a great stylistic noir film in the hands of Fincher.Sean Penn and Nicholson know what the beats of this kind of film and they play them until they reach the brilliant final act. The result is something fresh and frightening. While discussing the film I heard it referred to as a "meta movie". That term is dead on. It makes the last act of the film so much more interesting when it doesn't go through the motions of the cop thriller at all. I remember thinking that "Oh what a nice change of pace to see Nicholson play this character with a moral code" and then you see how cavalierly he uses the little girl as bait and you come to despise him. Jerry didn't get the memo that he wasn't supposed to be the hero. It's a unique film. Nicholson is as always masterful. The beginning has some slow areas but it ends up being an alienating thriller that haunts the audience expecting a standard story of a hero cop getting his serial killer.

Sean Penn's The Pledge is an agonizing, uncompromising, unique, emotionally wrenching slice of unconventional cop drama that will raise the hairs on your arm and have you in tears in equal measures. Penn has no interest in genre conventions, or giving us a tidy, cathartic resolution to the films central mystery. Hell we're lucky we got the subtle answer he gave at all, and people still complain it's not enough. Goes to show you how many people watch films expecting narrative training wheels included in the DVD. Oh well. Jack Nicholson gives a tired, tortured performance as burnt out police detective Jerry Black, who gets a murder case of the worst kind in his last week before retirement. In a desolate snowy field, the body of a 6 year old girl has been found, raped and murdered. When her devastated mother (Patricia Clarkson in a cameo that touches scary roots of sadness), makes Jerry promise to find her killer, he is galvanized into an obsessive and ultimately self destructive hunt across several states. He has a gut feeling that the mentally challenged native American (Benicio Del Toro in a very disconcerting, typically eccentric cameo), who was seen near the scene, confessed under the hothead ed bullying tactics of sergeant Aaron Eckhart and then killed himself, is in fact innocent. He finds himself haunted with finding the real killer, and strings together a plausible yet far-fetched chain of similar occurrences in nearby states that although can't be proved, he doggedly pursues. We see a man destroyed by his pledge and the lengths that a person will go to find the truth, sometimes not even just for the truths sake, but for their own sake so that their soul may rest. It's rough, hard hitting cinema that will put a lump in your throat and squeeze your heart out to dry, but it's also a beautifully made, loving piece, boistered by its unique narrative and unbelievable supporting cast. Watch for a heartbreaking cameo from Mickey Rourke, and welcome work from Helen Mirren, Costas Mandylor, Tom Noonan, Sam Shepherd, Robin Wright Penn, Harry Dean Stanton and Vanessa Redgrave. It's one of the best casts ever assembled. Penn directs with a mournful, ambient, melancholic hurt that gives reverence to the tragic story, never exploiting the subject matter or going for cheap thrills. It's a massively underrated emotional knockout of a film, but be warned, it goes to some truly despairing places, and doesn't lead you out of them to resolution. Anyone who can't handle that should remember that the minute the lights go up and they walk out of the theatre they are back in the real world where these things happen, and there's no happy ending or credits to stop the sorrow. This movie tells it like it is.