CommentsXp
Best movie ever!
Intcatinfo
A Masterpiece!
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
soranamicooper
I caught the second half of this flick and was engaged by its pace; it's well shot and enhanced by the soundtrack. Jack N is convincing and the rest do OK too, with some very (very, very) little cameos by such as Harry Dean Stanton and Micky Rourke. I saw the whole film a few days later and found I wasn't quite as enthusiastic about it. Some of the characters seemed less credible and a bit cliché. The story plays out like a suspense thriller/whodunnit, which is not really my thing, but there's just about enough interest to keep one watching (and there's always Jack) and the film's merits just about counteract its shortcomings (which are mainly plot-related and the fact there are too many lazy coincidences to serve its progression). The ending is a tad disappointing, plot-wise, as it seems a bit of a cop out to me, although the very final scene offers some form of redemption by refocusing our attention on the character study that I guess is its main aim/strength.
Byrdz
This was another of my notorious "VHS sale at the local library" purchases. I had never heard of it but it had Nicholson in it and the write up looked interesting so into the bag it went.Jack Nicholson actually appears as someone other than Jack Nicholson in this one. He does not shout, excessively roll his eyes or swear nonstop. He is quite subdued and he even goes fishing .... often! Jack is surrounded by an outstanding cast of big name actors playing extended cameo roles.Director Sean Penn seems to be drawn to these ... lets say "less than sunny" stories but he handles them well and was able to draw out the "old Nicholson" who actually seemed to enjoy what he was doing. .The ending is rather muddled and we are left not really knowing exactly who the killer was but sometimes that's just the way life is.Not action filled, rather bloody but not gratuitously, character study more than anything. If you can find it, watch it.
TheBigSnack
Now retired police detective Jerry Black lives completely within the law.In splendid character he very successfully uncovers the illegal acts of a deeply dark child killer. The glory of that career finale credit goes to him.However, the story of the catch is completely lost to him and he is discredited and stripped of having a good side!What makes a town a town, or a man a man? It is a chief person or object that makes each of them. They are no longer when they lose that which is exceptional.
punishmentpark
I've seen 'The pledge' a few times before, but after having seen the original 'Es geschah am hellichten tag' (1958) not too long ago, I thought I'd catch this one on the telly - in spite of commercials. It's now for the first time I found out who exactly the killer is, although it could be argued that this man (the husband of the candy store woman) is another red herring - I personally would think that to be a total stretch. But then, if he is the killer, why wouldn't Jerry (or anyone else) find out about this accident with a black car and that the dead man is quite tall, and he sold little hedgehog candy in his store? And why did Jerry drink and drive anyway (at beginning of the film)? It's probably an indication of his deteriorating state.Anyhoo, the film has lots of wonderful cinematography, a rather slow pacing and plenty of soothing, beautiful music. But somehow I don't feel that Jack Nicholson's talent was utilized enough, which must have had something to do with the direction, but also with that contrived development in the story, in which the friendship between Lori and Jerry suddenly becomes a relationship. It didn't feel plausible to me. Then, there were small supporting roles by quite a few unexpected familiar faces, such as Mickey Rourke, Harry Dean Stanton, Vanessa Redgrave and Helen Mirren, mostly just single scenes - how odd and how inane that all seemed, cameos like that in a film like this.But the film, as a whole, was certainly 'entertaining' enough, being a '90s thriller from the 21st century. And with its considerable length, it felt a bit like a miniseries, which was not a bad thing.For this attempt, I'm much more mild than for the 1958 version, since Lori gives Jerry hell eventually and the whole story has a better build-up. 7 out of 10.
