Review of The Raven (2012) by Philip P — 10 Oct 2012

When The Raven appeared in theaters in late April I truly had every intention of seeing it, but reviews began coming in, I didn't happen to get around to it and the film began feeling less important and less critical that I see it.

I was still intrigued by the premise though and continued to wonder how a film about such a smart, creative, and eccentric man became what some were calling standard and bland. Cusack is a fine actor and he does some good work here.

In truth, he is the only thing about the film that truly helps it move along at a compelling pace rather than being a complete bore. What we get here is a kind of fictionalized speculation on what happened to Edgar Allen Poe in his final days before his death.

What it plays out like is a guessing game of Poe references as a killer goes to extreme lengths to re-create scenes from Poe's work. The actual Poe is called in to assist the detective (played by a dedicated but often over-the-top Luke Evans) in trying to solve the crime spree as he of course has an odd connection to the case.

the screenwriters can't resist throwing in a fictional love interest as well played by the lovely but unnecessary Alice Eve. They believe this will anchor our emotional investment in the case as well as Poe's but this is simply too engaging of a story for Poe to resist in the first place.

It is essentially the tale of a crazed and obsessed fan. Sadly, as engaging as the film can be with moments of real terror elicited from the words Poe wrote and other times genuinely tense encounters the film overall does not stand out as it should.

There is a presence to the man we imagine he had, a monument-like persona that is lost here in the typical police procedural this turns into. As interesting as it would be to explore Poe the man with the persona of a monument the movie pounces on neither of these opportunities and decides instead to play it safe.

A choice the actual Poe would have never made.