Lee Tamahori’s first foray in Hollywood, ‘Mulholland Falls,’ didn’t fare all that well. Luckily, his follow-up with 1997’s ‘The Edge’ made money and allowed him to keep working in the business. (Though if you look at his foray in the Bond franchise, ‘Die Another Day,’ maybe it’s not so lucky after all.) But does the movie feel like something from a David Mamet script? Or does it fall into formulaic Hollywood junk? Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—as we wrap up our ‘David Mamet as a screenwriter’ series with ‘The Edge.’ We talk about why this film doesn’t work for us overall, even if there are some redeeming elements here and there. We chat about Mamet and debate about how perhaps writing for the Great Outdoors really isn’t for him. We discuss the actors, notably Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins and Harold Perrineau, and how they fare in the wilderness. We chat about Bart the Bear and his Hollywood legacy. We look at the cinematography and try to figure out why Donald McAlpine’s work here feels like it was shot on backlots, not the gorgeous backdrops of the Canadian Rockies. And we bring up Jerry Goldsmith, the legendary composer, who lends his hand here to compose what ends up being a strong theme that’s perhaps repeated a few times too many. It’s a frustrating film to rewatch as it certainly brought our memories of it down a bit, but definitely is a fun one to talk about. Check it out (or don’t) then tune in!
Film Sundries
- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Flickchart
