The Pale Blue Eye - Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

CHRISTIAN Bale brings typical quality to Scott Cooper’s moody gothic thriller… a whodunit in the classic sense that dips its toe into horror territory.

The actor plays a world-weary but renowned detective, named Augustus Landor, who in 1830 is summoned to the US military academy in West Point to investigate a grisly murder - the victim of which, a soldier, has been hanged and his heart cut out of his body.

Landor is acting on the authority of the military establishment’s senior officers (played by Simon McBurney and Timothy Spall), who are prepared to overlook Landor’s boozy-soaked, insolent attitude, because of his reputation for solving crimes and presumed ability to spare the academy’s blushes.

But the case proves harder to solve - and more bizarre - than anyone could have anticipated, forcing Landor to seek help in the form of an officer cadet named Edgar Allan Poe (a playfully eccentric Harry Melling).

Their subsequent investigation leads them to further consult with an expert on the occult (played by a barely recognisable Robert Duvall) as well as the military doctor and his wife on the base (Toby Jones and Gillian Anderson).

Cooper has previously worked with Bale before, on the excellent Western Hostiles, but has pedigree for managing strong ensemble casts and emotionally compelling stories (witness Out Of The Furnace, Crazy Heart and Springsteen).

The Pale Blue Eye, adapted from the 2003 bestseller by Louis Bayard (an author renowned for reimagining real-life historical figures and famous fictional characters), offers ample opportunity for both - but is arguably his most difficult sell given the cold locations and the brutality inherent in the story.

This means that the film is perhaps the least engaging of Cooper’s films. But that doesn’t detract from its ability to intrigue or deliver on the acting front.

Bale, especially, is a suitably complex detective and widower, who carries a heavy emotional baggage and a dark secret, while the likes of Spall, Jones and Anderson are typically great at bringing nuance and colour to characters who don’t necessarily get the time they deserve.

Melling sometimes makes his Poe a little too eccentric and insufferable, especially when pursuing his unlikely love interest, but he works well with Bale and the pair form a suitably odd partnership.

And the various twists and dalliances with the supernatural work well in lending the film its distinct look and feel.

Hence, while The Pale Blue Eye may not feature among the career highlights of any of its assembled talent, it’s still a classy affair that benefits from what everyone brings. And once the revelations start to drop, it also manages to pack a surprisingly emotional punch.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 2hrs 8mins