Premise - Detective Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) is nearing retirement when his department is alerted to the murder and mutilation of a nine year old girl. Jerry makes a promise to the girls mother that he will find the killer. What cost will Jerry pay in order to keep this pledge? The Pledge is a welcome return to the world of movies for Jack Nicholson, whom has made nothing of note since his Oscar winning turn in 'As Good As It Gets'. To say that this film is as far removed from his previous one as it gets is a bit of an understatement. 'As Good As It Gets' was a light hearted, throwaway romantic comedy, The Pledge is a dark, deliberate thriller about the nature of obsession. That for me sums up why Nicholson is such a fine actor. The range of parts that he has played over the years is astounding, he can turn his hand to practically anything. Horror, comedy, drama Jack's done them all. His turn in 'The Pledge' is easily one of his best as he takes his character on a journey from a retiring cop with a penchant for fishing to a man broken, whom is practically crazed with fulfilling his promise. It's a breathtaking and haunting performance, the final moments of the film leave the viewer stunned as to how low this man has sunk. This really is Jack's film, he owns it and aside from Robin Wright Penn as a beaten mother the rest of the cast consist mainly of cameos. The likes of Helen Mirren, Mickey Rourke, Vanessa Redgrave and Harry Dean Stanton are in the film for no more than a few minutes each. The only other actor to make their mark on the film is a barely recognisable Benicio Del Toro as a handicapped Native American. It's a stunning piece of work from Toro and it's testament to the quality of his performance that you remember it when the credits roll given the short amount of screen time he gets. This is the first film I have seen that has been directed by Sean Penn and on this evidence I should probably keep an eye out for his two previous directorial efforts. His style is low key, but never anything more than beautiful. He seems easily as comfortable shooting in the harsh winters or the arid summers of Nevada. He doesn't use any fancy tricks, but still manages to maintain the viewers interest even given the deliberate pacing of the film. Yes, it's a lengthy running time, but the marriage of Nicholson's performance, Penn's directing and an enthralling story ensure that the viewer should never be bored. Whilst the crux of the story may be about a search for a child killer, the real story is that of Jerry's descent and breakdown. It's a study of what a man will put on the line to quench his obsession. Indeed, some of the things that Jerry does are questionable and some are truly shocking. The Pledge is certainly not a film for all as some may find the events a bit much given the touchy subject matter. The stunning ending is just the kind I enjoy, it's ambiguous and leaves the audience hanging, dazed and wondering what's going on. I love an ending to a film that challenges the viewer and makes them think, The Pledge delivers just that. I had a slight problem with the relationship between Jerry and Wright Penn's character as I thought it was a little unlikely, but it's a minor quibble. If you like your films dark, with stunning acting, and assured direction then you could do a lot worse than the intriguing character study that is The Pledge.

8/10 for The Pledge. Poster Quote - Promise you'll see this film.