The Pledge

[poliphilo]

Jack Nicholson swears "on his soul's salvation" to track down the killer of a murdered girl. We later learn that he's not religious. So why does his promise gnaw away at him so?

There have been genuflections in front of this movie because-

a. It tries very hard not to be Hollywood.
b. Sean Penn (the director) is allegedly cool.
c. Nicholson is really rather good in it.

But the character doesn't make sense. He's avuncular, he's laid-back and in the last reel he suddenly goes stark, staring mad. Is he a good guy who's been fucked over by God or a seething nutcase who's been putting up a convincing front? We don't see anything of his inner life so how can we tell?

And if we don't know what's going on inside him, why should we care?

Somewhere at the back of all this there's a novel(?) by Friedrich Durrenmatt. I'm thinking that what's happened is that it used to be a story about a catholic guilt trip, but- for whatever reasons- they took the motor out.

Turning your back on Hollywood doesn't automatically make you European and deep.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that what's happened is that it used to be a story about a catholic guilt trip, but- for whatever reasons- they took the motor out.

Turning your back on Hollywood doesn't automatically make you European and deep.


Laughing out loud.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

This Pledge thing was a like a Hollywood movie with most of the cheesy stuff taken out, but not replaced with anything else.

And I want to know why a retired policeman- balding with a moustache- should exert such an irresistible fascination for younger women.

OK, I know Jack Nicholson is a charming old rascal but here he wasn't playing Jack Nicholson- he was playing dull old Joe Average.