Will Mel Gibson ever regain his stardom? Despite a strong turn in Martin Campbell’s gritty revenge/political-thriller Edge of Darkness (2010), the film underperformed at the box-office largely because Gibson couldn’t shake his notoriety stemming from several years of allegations of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, familial abuse and alcoholism. Appearing in almost no films in a decade and directing the controversial Passion of the Christ (2004) and underrated Apocalypto (2006) has also isolated him from his former glory. Now it’s somewhat hard to remember how promising and extremely talented Gibson is as an actor, just re-watch Mad Max (1979), Lethal Weapon (1987), Braveheart (1995), which he directed, The Patriot (2000), or Signs (2002) to catch a glimpse of classic Gibson. It’s a shame that a new generation of moviegoers may never get to see Gibson gain “freedom” from his troubles and reclaim his former positive prominence. However, if he continues performing at a high level like he does in Jodie Foster’s The Beaver (2011), the public may have no choice but to re-acknowledge his filmmaking brilliance. As for the film overall, The Beaver is a heartfelt family drama and character study that is limited by its tonal shifts, tidiness, and flawed premise. If viewers can get past the repulsive behavior of Gibson the man as well as the goofy premise, then they will witness one of his best performances as an actor that truly makes this quality film worth a viewing.
Read more of this post
The Modern Allegory 