Penn's 'Pledge' combines memorable roles, realism and a touch of honesty

By Christopher Cousino

Daily Arts Writer

The opening shots of Sean Penn's "The Pledge" are visual beauties - crows in mid flight fade into dirtied hands scratching flaky dead skin off a crusty calf. Poetic, astute and aware could be ways to describe "The Pledge" and Penn (as the film's director) wastes no time letting us know his plan - yes, this is going to be slow paced so you better sit back and just watch.

Crafting a wonderful character study in a suspense thriller without the standard, gimmicky Hollywood twists, "The Pledge" is a little, beautiful film, both on the visual and emotional levels. Based on a novel by the German writer Friedrich Duerenmatt, "The Pledge" begins on the day of Nevada homicide detective Jerry Black's (Jack Nicholson) retirement.

Through clever crosscutting, Penn takes us out of the city into a frigid, forest snowfield as a young boy rides his snowmobile into a drift and stumbles across a horrific sight - the dead body of an eight-year-old girl. Immediately, the police are notified and sure enough, Black steps back in action.

As this may sound like the usual Nicholson role, Penn toys with our notion of Nicholson and plays off this very effectively. Is this going to be a reprise of say, his "Chinatown" Jake Gittes, a story about a cocky detective who gets in over his head? Penn brings one of Nicholson's more touching, true acting performances in years. Nicholson does not seem like he's playing himself for once. Tender, quiet and astute, Nicholson's Black is a man of devotion - to his job, to his pastime of fishing and to the mother of the dead girl, after he promises to find her child's killer.

Quickly, a known child rapist is apprehended and brought in for interrogation by Black's partner Stan Krolak (Aaron Eckhart). As retarded Native American Toby Jay Wadenah, a slovenly Benicio Del Toro continues to further himself as one of the best actors working right now. While his role is very brief, his dark eyes and other worldly presence further the mystical tone of the film. Though his colleagues close the case, Black doubts Wadenah's bizarre confession. But now that he's a retiree, it's time to hit the lake for some large mouth bass.

Penn spends a lot of time drawing us into the character of Jerry Black and his passion for the rod 'n' reel. Lures, lakes and lines are all shown in vibrant close-ups and awe inspiring wide-angles. We feel the climate of the mountains of Nevada; when Penn takes us into the snow, it's really cold (a viewing experience similar to the Coen brothers' "Fargo"). Penn's connection with the landscape borders on the sublime as Black buys an age-old gas station and starts his new life. But his promise continues to haunt him.

Penn's greatest achievement in "The Pledge" comes in his adept casting and honest feel to the film. Using an ensemble of stark looking character actors (Helen Mirren, Mickey Rourke, Harry Dean Stanton, Sam Shepard, Vanessa Redgrave, wife Robin Wright Penn), "The Pledge" is a triumph of tiny memorable roles. Along with a solid cast of unknown background players, Penn gives "The Pledge" such an honest touch. And it looks it too.

Whether it's amongst hundreds of turkeys on a turkey farm, a steaming pot of coffee or the Backstreet Boys poster hanging in the backwoods gas station (the owner has a teenage daughter), "The Pledge" looks honest-to-goodness real, which may be at times why it's so unsettling. Not to mention the fact that Nicholson in his spiky hair and moustache looks more like Henry Lee Lucas than anyone else in the film.

Penn's "The Pledge" is an engaging film that doesn't spell out the answers to the Fates; ultimately they decide. It's a pleasure to see a character film set in a different, uncharted world, with a Nevada backdrop (actually filmed in British Columbia). Though a much different film, the recent "You Can Count on Me" boasts a similar honesty - in character, setting and pacing. Yes, it's okay to take a moment, stop and look around.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Jack Nicholson plays Jerry Black, a retired Nevada homicide detective in suspense thriller "The Pledge."