The Pale Blue Eye is a newish Netflix mystery film starring Christian Bale. Released roughly around the same time as Glass Onion, it might be your cup of tea if you were turned off by that somewhat gaudy and colorful over-the-top whodunit.
The Pale Blue Eye gets its title from Edgar Allen Poe's, The Telltale Heart. Fittingly so, because this movie centers around a series of murders committed on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy, in 1830, during which time Poe is a West Point cadet. Poe is a central figure in this movie, and he assists the main protagonist, a depressed and alcoholic investigator named Augustus Landor (Bale). Together, they attempt to unravel the mysterious series of killings which start with the late-night hanging and subsequent mutilation of a cadet. Navigating the strict rules of West Point life, a clumsy and possibly suspicious medical examiner, and a sticky web of political and social relationships, Landor and Poe narrow down their search as the danger ramps up. Will the killer emerge from within West Point society? Will Poe or Landor solve the mystery before more people die? Or will they become victims themselves of a dark and murky potentially occult killing spree?
The Pale Blue Eye is a decent but not fantastic murder mystery film. Everything is much more subdued than films like Glass Onion or Orient Express, including the visuals and the performances. There is an impressive cast of actors, including Bale, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Toby Jones, Robert Duvall, and Harry Melling as Poe. Bale is good as usual, but just isn't given a ton of acting to do through much of the main body of the movie. Melling puts in a standout performance as the outcast intellectual poet, and Anderson is also very good. The plot is also fine, and includes a number of minor to major twists along the way. However, it does rely on some suspension of disbelief, because some of the key events that drive the story occur just by happenstance. The final big twist was good, but didn't leave me agape in my seat. The character development and background is fairly sparse. The move looks fantastic. Well shot, with tremendous visuals. Similar in visual tone to something like The Revenant, the movie is set in beautiful wintery scenery with tones of stark white and black which reinforces the scenes where more color seeps in.
Overall, if you're a whodunit type of mystery fan and a Netflix subscriber, The Pale Blue Eye might be worth your time. The movie has a good bit of violence and gore, very little sex or profanity. It won't blow your mind, but it will give you a reasonably decent murder mystery with a more serious and subdued tone than some other recent modern movies.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)
The Pale Blue Eye gets its title from Edgar Allen Poe's, The Telltale Heart. Fittingly so, because this movie centers around a series of murders committed on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy, in 1830, during which time Poe is a West Point cadet. Poe is a central figure in this movie, and he assists the main protagonist, a depressed and alcoholic investigator named Augustus Landor (Bale). Together, they attempt to unravel the mysterious series of killings which start with the late-night hanging and subsequent mutilation of a cadet. Navigating the strict rules of West Point life, a clumsy and possibly suspicious medical examiner, and a sticky web of political and social relationships, Landor and Poe narrow down their search as the danger ramps up. Will the killer emerge from within West Point society? Will Poe or Landor solve the mystery before more people die? Or will they become victims themselves of a dark and murky potentially occult killing spree?
The Pale Blue Eye is a decent but not fantastic murder mystery film. Everything is much more subdued than films like Glass Onion or Orient Express, including the visuals and the performances. There is an impressive cast of actors, including Bale, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Toby Jones, Robert Duvall, and Harry Melling as Poe. Bale is good as usual, but just isn't given a ton of acting to do through much of the main body of the movie. Melling puts in a standout performance as the outcast intellectual poet, and Anderson is also very good. The plot is also fine, and includes a number of minor to major twists along the way. However, it does rely on some suspension of disbelief, because some of the key events that drive the story occur just by happenstance. The final big twist was good, but didn't leave me agape in my seat. The character development and background is fairly sparse. The move looks fantastic. Well shot, with tremendous visuals. Similar in visual tone to something like The Revenant, the movie is set in beautiful wintery scenery with tones of stark white and black which reinforces the scenes where more color seeps in.
Overall, if you're a whodunit type of mystery fan and a Netflix subscriber, The Pale Blue Eye might be worth your time. The movie has a good bit of violence and gore, very little sex or profanity. It won't blow your mind, but it will give you a reasonably decent murder mystery with a more serious and subdued tone than some other recent modern movies.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)