Quote:
Originally Posted by J Harker  The Pale Blue Eye. Scott Cooper. 2022.
Even while watching this last night I was composing a review in my head. It started with the words "A disappointing gothic thriller....". However I find myself just not able to open on that, as today I've found myself thinking a lot about the film.
Christian Bale plays a retired police detective, highly esteemed but with a reputation for the drink. When a cadet is found hanged at the prestigious West Point Military Academy Bale's world weary sleuth Augustus Landor is enlisted to help protect the reputation of the Academy. Worse still the cadet has also found to have been horribly mutilated. At the Academy Landor is recieved coldly with the cadets unwilling to talk and those in power reluctant at having to resort to calling in an outsider.
Landor meets and subsequently teams up with a young cadet who the world will one day come to know as Edgar Allan Poe. Together they go about piecing together the goings on at this secretive institute.
Christian Bale is a fine actor but there's not that much to be said about this performance (or is there...) but its partner is crime solving Harry Melling that stole the show for me, his portrayal of the famous poet and literary genius being just superb.
The film I have to admit is slow, at time painfully so. In fact I nodded off at one point last night, there's an awful lot of brooding going on. Bale staring miserably into the shadows and so on. However and I don't want to say too much but I wonder if a second viewing will make a difference to not just how I perceive the film but also the characters.
The wintry chilly snowy setting is very atmospheric but my biggest issue was sadly the slow slow pace. I've nothing against slow films especially when they're rewarding. The Pale Blue Eye is actually rather rewarding but it was a bit of slog getting there.
I'd recommend but be prepared to be patient.
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I also enjoyed this but as you say it's very slow but rewarding and Dudley Dursley was fantastic as Poe.