 |
| tribute.ca |
Directed
by: James McTeigue
Starring:
John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson
I
have a love - hate relationship with biopics. On the one one hand,
I'm seriously getting tired of the standard three act stuff
in movies like “Ray” and “Walk the Line”: quick rise to fame,
drugs, sex and alcohol and then the Pheonix- like rise from the
ashes. It’s a tired formula, made distinct only by the performance
of the actor who plays the subject. On the other hand there are
movies like “The Queen” and “Invictus”, biopics that provide
a portrait throough a specific historical event. This is a much more
interesting way to go, allowing us to interpret the personalities
through their actions and behavior in the given event. We interpret
rather than have it told to us. “The Raven”… Oh hell, I don’t
know where to put it…
The
great author Edgar Allan Poe was found dead on the streets of
Baltimore. Aside from being known as a literary genius, he was a
notorious drunk and possibly drug addict. His final few days remain a
mystery. Nobody knows what exactly caused his death or how he spent
those last few days. Well, according to “The Raven”, Poe was in a
“Saw” movie…
Intended
as a dramatization of Poe’s final days, this movie suggests he was
involved in an investigation of a serial killer who uses Poe’s
stories as an inspiration for his “modus operandi.” It’s a
movie that tries to do two things: dig deep into Poe’s psyche and
his genius as a writer, and be a thrilling suspenseful mystery. It
fails pretty badly on both accounts, and it also has one of the most
inexplicably inept pieces of directing I have EVER seen (more on that
in a moment).
John
Cusack seemed like the perfect choice to play Poe. Not only is he one
of the best actors we have, he’s also extremely articulate and
intelligent, two qualities crucial to playing someone as complex as
Poe. And while he does give a very good, inspired performance, he is
unfortunately let down by the lame screenplay, more interested in
portraying Poe as a drunk fool, making a mockery out of himself. And
despite the movie's’ attempt to flash Poe’s brilliance through
figuring the mystery, there’s no real insight here. There’s no
looking ino his literary legacy or what made him tick. In all
honesty, this could have any run-of-the mill Holmes-esque character
we’ve seen so many times before. The only reason we really know
it’s Poe, is because the movie tells us.
The
mystery aspect of the movie is even worse. It exists only for cheap
thrills and to gross us out with the elaborate ways
the killer disposes of his victims. The filmmakers show zero attempt
at creativity. The simple feel that copying „Saw“ would do it. We
also have a completely bland Inspector in charge character (Luke
Evans) who's only purpose is to bark orders when Poe figures out the
clues. The resolution of the mystery is completely meaningless. The
reaction I had was: „Who the hell is this?“ It has no emotional
weight, and the reason why it isn't surprising
is because the character is such a nobody.
And
now… THE scene. At one point in the movie it’s revealed that the
killer will strike at the ball organized by the rich guy whose
daughter Poe is in love with. In one moment, Poe is dancing with the
girl (Alice Eve), the scene cuts to killer storming in on a horse,
there’s chaos, and then… Cut to Poe reading a note from the
killer saying he kidnapped the girl. Where is the scene when that
happened?! At one point they were dancing, five seconds later she’s
already kidnapped?! WTF, movie?!!
Beside
John Cusack’s great performance and a great look and atmosphere,
“The Raven” is a dud, replacing a possibly cool psychological
thriller for cheap theatrics, betraying one of the most important
figures in literary history. It didn’t have to be an exact portrait
or even factual. But it shouldn’t feel like they’ve taken the
name Edgar Allan Poe and just dropped it into a dusty serial killer
screenplay.
Poe
deserves better, much, much better. So does John Cusack.
Watch the Trailer:
About the Author
Vjekoslav Rosandić is a 26-year old movie critic who has already made a name for himself locally, contributing movie reviews for TV and various media outlets in print and online. As of recently he writes editorials for Around the Networks. Vjekoslav holds a Master's degree in English and Philosophy and is currently employed as university librarian. When he's not watching movies, he's reading or hanging out with his fabulous girlfriend.
