Obietnica

A crime thriller that lacks suspense and has a classic detective investigation that we barely enjoy in the first half hour can’t impress with anything. That would be the case if Sean Penn wasn’t in the director’s chair; his direction is beautifully fluid, sensitive and smart. That would be the case, too, if Jack Nicholson wasn’t in the main role; he delivers another one of his great creations that carries the film with a dignity worthy of one of the greatest acting legends of our time. But above all The Pledge doesn't try to be a shocking and raw crime story, it’s an intimate psychological drama about a man so committed to his profession, justice and integrity that he slowly descends into his own paranoia and does everything he can to keep his promise. And in this sense, I have no major complaints, though I can certainly imagine a more entertaining way to spend two hours of my life... Strong 4* (13.08.2012)

Don't expect this intimate drama to be a suspenseful crime thriller about a detective tracking a murderer. That is not at all what Sean Penn had in mind. The Pledge is a sad drama about a loner whose unyielding effort to get justice and to preserve his honour deprives him of his last chance to fill his personal life with happiness. For Penn, the thriller plot about the search for a killer is the most viewer-friendly way to make a personal creative statement. If it weren’t for the needlessly drawn-out runtime, there wouldn’t be a hint of boredom in this film and it would be worthy of an excellent four stars. (23.04.2002)

Sean Penn really knows how to make detective films (e.g., The Pledge and Mystic River). The Pledge might not have a thrilling pace, but that doesn’t matter at all. This film focuses on a thorough psychological breakdown of a retired detective who is convinced that the killer of a young girl is still at large. Jack Nicholson blew me away with his performance; I didn't expect such a grand, understated role from him—an actor par excellence. The cinematography was delightful, with beautiful nature shots and a strong emphasis on detail in each scene. Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt created one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard so far (I can't believe I missed this until now). As a viewer, I was on edge, wondering how the creators would bring this plot to a satisfying conclusion. The final minutes convinced me that this deserves a strong four stars, as such a mix of a happy and tragic ending is quite rare. Highly recommended. 8/10 (13.07.2021)

Vajda's black-and-white classic It Happened in Broad Daylight was on TV many years ago, and Penn based his remake on it, obviously taking the story to another level, because Vajda's film is a gritty thriller. If it came to a comparison, Penn's film would lose to K.O., but his honest filmmaking, which does not look for commercial effect, deserves praise in this day and age. Sean Penn proves that he is not only a great actor, but also a great director; his direction is sensitive and imaginative. The pace of the story may be a little too slow, but the few moments that give you goosebumps stand out all the more in contrast. The mood of the film is accurately illustrated by the impressively melancholic music, which reminded me of the soundtrack to Raimi's The Gift. There is no point in dwelling on the great Nicholson. (25.12.2003)

This remarkable attempt to connect a thriller and psychological film fluctuates, just as Sean Penn's directorial certainty fluctuates. It alternates brilliant moments (an amazing scene where Jack informs the parents of the murdered and the viewer hears only the hysterical chorus of turkeys that are all around) with purely mediocre and dull moments. With a little relativization, one could argue that when a film works as a psychological study (a probe into the personality of a reclusive and strange retired detective Jack), it doesn't work as a detective story (searching for the mysterious killer of little girls) and vice versa. Fortunately, the two components are strongly connected by the motive of Jack's obsession, which stems from the level of a detective (a promise to the mother of the murdered person) and arises from Jack's problematic personality (the inability to admit that the old life is gone). The detective's movement between old and new life results in a bit of an opaque balancing act on the edge of love and cold-blooded use. At some moments, the film has an incredibly intense atmosphere, while sometimes it simply drowns in a subjective camera and stretched details. Nicholson's performance is convincing, once again proving to that he is a detail actor. Benicio Del Toro in the role of the retarded Indian pleases. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack also pleases (how many times is that now?)... It needs a little more self-criticism and, above all, a greater balance between the plane of the thriller and the psychological portrait. The fourth star is purely for an excellent ending that defies the "youth must acknowledge the infallibility of the old school" cliché. (16.12.2005)