Sunday, May 20, 2012

Movie Review: The Raven



I’m not very familiar with Edgar Allan Poe’s works but remember reading The Cask of Amontillado when I was in high school -- which I found to be a very dark piece. I don’t know much about the author himself too. So when I found out that a movie about Poe’s life will be shown soon and with one of the Hollywood actors I really like playing the lead role, I was very interested to watch.


The Raven, starring John Cusack, can be summarized in one word: gripping. I was kept on the edge of my seat for almost the whole duration of the movie. I wasn’t quite expecting that it would be more suspense than drama because there are a lot of twists to the story that will make you guessing until the end. 


I’m not exactly sure which parts of the plot really happened in the past or not. I would have to research more about the facts. For now, let me share with you a bit of the story wherein Poe’s written works about fictional crimes and characters were being played out in real life. Murders were being committed by a madman one after the other to mimic what happened in Poe’s stories.


A determined Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) collected clues with Poe's to solve the mystery and catch the madman who was turning stories into reality. Things got grimmer when Poe’s girlfriend (Alice Eve) was abducted by the mysterious felon who left clues leading to the lady. I felt the frustration of both Poe and Detective Fields whenever they get outwitted again and again by the criminal.


The three lead actors are  great. They all had their moments to shine. Watch this movie to see if Poe would be able to rescue the love of his life and if they would finally be able to catch the lunatic who was committing all the murders. The ending will probably leave you with mixed emotions like it did to me.


The Raven, (the movie, not the poem) whether it’s a work of fiction or not, is something worth watching. Even if you are not a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, you will appreciate how well the story was presented. If you’re fond of watching movies with a mystery to solve, you should definitely watch this. Just be ready to see some really gory scenes. I think I was gasping and holding my breath half of the time I was inside the theater :p

The Raven is now showing exclusively in Ayala Malls cinemas.


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