Monday, May 21, 2012

The Raven


The Raven (Rated R)
  • Starring John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson
  • Directed by John McTeigue
  • Plot: A serial killer uses Edgar Allen Poe’s stories as a framework for murder and the poet is called in to assist the police to find him.

In “The Raven”, a serial killer stages his victims based on the stories of Edgar Allen Poe.  Initially a suspect, the alcoholic poet eventually gets pulled in to the serial killer’s game as the killer uses his knowledge of Poe’s works to manipulate the police.  As the 'game' escalates, Poe is pulled in even further when his fiance is taken by the killer.

This is an idea that had potential, but the uninspired script and questionable acting choices shoot the film in the foot before it even gets going.  John Cusack is a brilliant actor, but he's simply looks out of his element and completely uncomfortable in this period piece.  He is unable to drop what makes him “John Cusack” to enter into the darkness that consumed Poe.

The rest of the cast do okay with what they are given, but the movie ends up looking like a period piece version of "Saw", minus the creativity.  I had high hopes for this movie, but I left the theater disappointed.  This seemed like an original idea, but unfortunately, the filmmakers failed to live up to the premise.

Skip it in the theater, but it’s probably worth checking out on DVD.

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