Director: James McTeigue
Starring: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson
Running Time: 110 minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: Deleted and Extended Scenes, Commentary by director James McTeigue and producers Marc D. Evans, Trevor Macy & Aaron Ryder
Freshening up the crime thriller is difficult, as there’s little that hasn’t been tried, tested, and tried again. Be that as it may, Ben Livingstone and Hannah Shakespeare have sought to reinvigorate the genre with THE RAVEN, by reworking the murderous tales of revered 19th Century author Edgar Allan Poe. Director James McTeigue (V FOR VENDETTA) takes us through the writer’s last days, with Poe (Cusack) first playing suspect then aide to Detective Fields (Evans), whilst investigating a series of murders (inspired by Poe’s own stories) and the disappearance of Emily (Eve), Poe’s fiancee.
Subtlety and tension are vital cogs in crime fiction – drawing in viewer in and keeping them transfixed right up to the final reveal of the murderer. THE RAVEN disposes of these with a clunky script lacking in the aforementioned tension and subtlety, let alone character development. Crime thrillers have a standard story arc and THE RAVEN doesn’t come close to veering from this.
The poor script gives the actors little hope: Evans is solid as Fields, Eve plays the damsel in distress as well as permitted, and Brendan Gleeson adds some class as her father, Captain Hamilton. The same cannot be said for John Cusack’s Poe; some issues are down to the script, others due to Cusack himself. His introduction to the film makes the viewer uneasy and question whether they should like this man, this eases during the film but Cusack gives the kind of exaggerated performance that would make Nick Nolte blush. James McTeigue does little to help his actors with uninspiring camerawork that gives the film an episodic feel.
Edgar Allan Poe said, ‘With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion,’ sadly THE RAVEN has neither. Perhaps a modern setting without Poe would have worked as there is a good film in this idea, sadly McTeigue et al have failed to find it.
Extras: Deleted and Extended scenes add nothing and the commentary is much like the film, dull and uninvolved.
THE RAVEN is available on Blu-ray and DVD now.
sam
Jul 30, 2012 at 5:50 pm
This dull, uninspiring and insipid review should banish you back to your basement, where you belong. Reviews are written by critics, not 13 yr olds.
Sam Carey
Jul 30, 2012 at 6:17 pm
A review is a viewpoint first and foremost, not a necessity to entertain. If it is dull and insipid it reflects the film beautifully.
sam
Jul 30, 2012 at 10:35 pm
What a cop out for a bad and lazy review.