A Promise Gone Bad In The Pledge

Sean Penn's new film is a brooding portrait of a man so driven by his hunt for a killer that he is willing to not only risk the lives of those closest to him, but even risk his own destruction to complete his mission. But, while it sounds good on paper, something about the final product fails to deliver the full psychological potential of the premise.

Homicide detective Jerry (Jack Nicholson) seems reluctant to leave the force on the day of his retirement, and when the body of an eight-year-old girl is discovered in the mountains, he leaves a party being thrown in his honour to help out at the crime scene. Once there, Jerry quickly takes it upon himself to deliver the news to the girl's parents. Overwhelmed by grief, the mother persuades Jerry to swear on his soul that he will find the person who murdered her little girl.

A suspect is soon brought into custody and a young cop obtains a questionable confession from the slow man. The force considers the investigation to be over, but Jerry is not convinced. Armed with nothing but his own suspicion, he embarks on an investigation of his own, completely separate from the force.

Jerry's promise slowly consumes him as he begins to uncover details of similar murders in the area and he becomes obsessed with the idea that killer will strike again in the near future. Positioning himself close to where he assumes the action will be, Jerry buys a gas station at a key intersection in a small town. There he befriends a single mother, Lori (Robin Wright Penn) and her daughter Chrissy who, in his eyes, is a possible target .

As Jerry becomes closer to Lori and Chrissy, so does the assumed threat of the killer and our compulsive hero is drawn onto very shaky moral ground. To catch this man, he takes cruel and careless measures — but the alternative would mean breaking his promise.

The Pledge is a murder mystery that focuses on the investigator instead of the crime. It's an interesting perspective and the plot flows at a slow but steady pace that should hold the attention of most viewers. Unfortunately, something seems strangely superficial about the film. The script is very capable, but it never seems to delve deep enough into Jerry's psyche to actually explore the disturbing nature of his drives and actions. Nicholson does his best to flesh out the character, but he appears slightly uncomfortable in a role that requires none of his trademark smart ass charm.

As a result, The Pledge comes across as a sort of existential junk food. It's smart enough to amuse your brain, but not deep enough to really satisfy it.