The Raven

While John Cusack gives it his all as the film’s central character, Edgar Allan Poe, this cinematic attempt at making the author some sort of supersleuth during his dying days winds up being a little silly. As history has told us, Poe was found in bad shape on a Baltimore park bench shortly before he died. This movie comes up with the fictional device that Poe was running around looking for a serial killer copying his stories, 1849’s answer to Saw’s Jigsaw. The premise is too goofy to overcome despite a decent performance from Cusack and a good-looking movie from director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta). By the time this movie reveals its mysteries, you couldn’t care less, although having Alice Eve in your cast can easily make things worth watching at times. There have been a number of Poe films kicking around for years now. I’m kind of bummed this is the one that actually wound up getting made. Cusack is still a god, even if this movie is beneath him. Just had to say that.