The Raven

No this picture is not of the film but of the actual poem The Raven. I was obsessed with Poe as a kid. Says a lot I know. My grandmother bought me a book with most of his poems. One verse I remember well; "To love, love, and not its meaning, hardens the heart in monstrous ways." I don't remember anymore which poem that comes from. We have all heard about Poe and how misery was his companion. The Raven was no different.
The Raven was initially published in 1845. It was about a Raven who visited an upset lover who ended up mad. The film touches on certain aspect of this but goes on a ride all its own. I will not spoil this film only to say that it was in true Poe fashion. Even the ending. I was quite satisfied that James McTeigue stayed with the intent of Poe's endings.
John Cusack was brilliant as Edgar Allen Poe. I believe he studied his work and became the character. Another good quality was the fact that the story while revolving around Poe did not get stuck on following his personality which most of us know was intriguing. It was a fun film with all the twists and turns of a Poe poem/story and kept up the pace so I was not bored. The film also did not draw out scenes. Some writers and directors I think draw out scenes to help tell the story and then just lose the audience in the muck. This film was right on the money. Each scene took as much time as needed to get the gist and moved on. I think you will all like this film. If you are looking for blood and guts, you won't find much of that here, nor should you. Have a great time watching this film.