Starring John Cusack, Luke Evans
Directed by James McTeigue
Director James McTeigue, best known for high-octane action thrillers (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), opts for a more macabre approach in The Raven. The gothic 19th century tale stars a quirky John Cusack as infamous horror author Edgar Allen Poe who, in this case, is a poverty-stricken alcoholic with a serious case of writers block. When a killer starts committing brutal murders inspired by Poes classic stories, a Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) enlists the boozehound to help crack the case.
Cusack seems oddly out of place at the beginning of the film as he rants and raves through a couple jarring scenes. However, as things turn grisly he gets serious and the performance takes a compelling turn. Veteran Brendan Gleeson is great as always in an effective, albeit underused role and Welsh actor Luke Evans nearly steals the show as the dashing Detective Emmett Fields.
The Raven is by no means an epic Oscar-worthy period piece and it fails to shed any new light on Poes final days but there is something genuinely watchable about the mystery at the core of its story. McTeigue keeps things moving thanks to some brisk pacing and isnt afraid to show a little gore when the need arises. The movie may struggle to find an audience as it sometimes meanders awkwardly between the scripts dark humour and grim plot; however, The Raven is an old-school breath of fresh air and a welcome relief from many of todays special-effects-driven debacles.
