Smog

Sean Penn really surprised me with his first feature "The Indian Runner", which starred a very young Vigo Mortensen. The film possessed a muscularity and vision that was fresh and dangerous.I was eager to see The Pledge, having missed it at the local Century 25. The opening credits are very long and present a who's who of top acting talent, the long credit sequence sets the languid pace of this film. There are many cameos: Sam Shepard, Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Harry Dean Stanton, Micky Rourke, and Tom Noonan. Seeing all these brilliant actors in small throwaway parts is disconcerting and ultimately distracting. Benicio Del Toro is a wonder, as usual, his ability to invoke the voice, posture, and mannerisms of his character is a joy to watch. I won't spoil any plot points, as they are fresh and creative. Surprisingly this film lacks the strength and danger of The Indian Runner, instead the endless parade of talent reminds us over and over that we are watching a film.On the technical side, the transfer is mostly good, horizontal lines go a bit crazy and shimmering rears its head a few times. The audio comes at us from the front sound stage, I don't think I heard much from the surrounds. Dialogue is sometimes a bit too quiet, but overall the audio is clean and dynamic.

[Edited by Smog on 06-22-01 at 01:09 AM]

bdots48

...and Nicholson busts his chops better than he has for years. I rented this last night and almost wished I had bought it - no extras except trailer,though.