The Pledge

However, those old TV shows were suitably only a half hour long, while "The Pledge" seems to go on for a half hour too long. The film builds to an ambiguous, "Twilight Zone It contains many great scenes that don't add up to a satisfying whole. ... Full Review

In Sean Penn's majestically bleak film The Pledge , a crime and its detection become acids that eat their way into a man's soul. ... Full Review

love Sean Penn's fiercely brave, performance-driven movies....interesting films....a straightforward crime thriller....brutally honest performance.... ... Full Review

However, the whole thing comes undone in the second half, with a series of sketchy character developments and plotting that gets more ludicrous by the minute. But the script is only half the problem, as Penn lacks the filmmaking skills to sustain tension throughout the few scenes that might inspire it. ... Full Review

The Pledge" is rarely an easy film to watch as it is honestly a depressing and rather grim feature, but I must say that Penn did a terrific job and has brought some phenomenal actors who are all excellent. Also adding to the film greatly is the stunning cinematography of Chris Menges. ... Full Review

This devil's bargain in God's name is the moral epicenter of The Pledge , the new film directed by Sean Penn. Here, Nicholson and Penn make clear they're less interested in who done it than in wrestling with the mystery of one stubborn soul. ... Full Review

But ''The Pledge'' is far from perfect. The Pledge,'' like ''Humanite,'' is a profoundly gloomy meditation on the essential bestiality of human (especially the male human) condition. It has some gory moments and some strong language. ... Full Review

A Promise Gone Bad In The Pledge The script is very capable Unfortunately, something seems strangely superficial about the film. ... Full Review

From first frame to last, "The Pledge" is a forced march toward certain disaster, a scenario only passionate believers in predestination are likely to savor. By KENNETH TURAN TIMES FILM CRITIC January 18, 2001 Friday January 19, 2001 In "The Pledge," his third film as a director, Sean Penn once again demonstrates that he is a gifted filmmaker whose abilities don't count for as much as they should because of how fanatically he clings to a narrow, reductive view of the human condition. ... Full Review

The ambiguity of the ending and Jerry's plunge into mental collapse make "The Pledge" more interesting as a character study than a murder yarn. He opens a Pandora's box of problems for himself, though, when he vows to find the murderer in Sean Penn's "The Pledge. ... Full Review