Film Review: THE PALE BLUE EYE (2022): Christian Bale Heads an Impressive Cast in Scott Cooper’s Stylish but Lackluster Thriller

The Pale Blue Eye Review

The Pale Blue Eye (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Scott Cooper and starring Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Fred Hechinger, Robert Duvall, Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Timothy Spall, Charlie Tahan, Simon McBurney, Harry Lawtey, Hadley Robinson, John Fetterman, Gideon Glick, Brennan Keel Cook, Joey Brooks and Steven Maier.

Director Scott Cooper’s literary adaptation, The Pale Blue Eye, is one of those detective movies that goes out of its way to throw you off track in terms of guessing who the real killer is. With Christian Bale in the leading role as the detective, Augustus Landor, there should be no reason that Cooper’s film doesn’t work to perfection. But, it doesn’t despite some of the best production values possible and a chilling music score by none other than Howard Shore. Set around a murder at West Point Academy in 1830, expect to be guessing the whole way through who the killer is only to end up beating yourself up at the end when you realize you didn’t figure it out. It’s one of those slaps in the face that only disappointing movies can provide.

With that being said, Harry Melling vividly portrays the Cadet Edgar Allan Poe (yes, the infamous poet) who Detective Landor teams up with to catch a culprit responsible not only for a wickedly evil murder but, also, for the removal of the victim’s heart. Could it be two different people? Melling is an interesting actor and, for a while, I really liked him in his role as Poe. He was playing the part with sarcasm and sophistication but when he decides to take an interest in a young blonde named Lea Marquis (Lucy Boynton), it felt that the script did Melling a tremendous injustice. Poe wouldn’t have acted like he does in the latter part of the film based on how he is portrayed in the beginning stages of the movie. Without getting too much into the secrets of the plot, the character falls victim to servicing the plot rather than having the plot service the character of Poe accordingly.

Robert Duvall pops up as Jean Pepe, a bookworm with an in-depth knowledge of the occult who plays a key role in the plot. It’s great to see Duvall working again even if his screen time is minimal. The Oscar winner makes his role stand out here when it could have just gotten lost in the shuffle. Toby Jones expertly serves as Dr. Daniel Marquis who misses a few things in the autopsy regarding the dead body that is found. A key character finds a note in the victim’s hand that serves as a major clue in the case. Daniel’s wife (the majestic Gillian Anderson) is a little peculiar and as played by Anderson, she’s wonderfully fascinating to watch as the plot throws in one too many distractions willy-nilly as the story progresses. One sequence, in particular, where a ritual leads to a huge fire was particularly troublesome and made the movie a bit too over-the-top for its own good.

If you’ve seen a detective thriller before (and who hasn’t), you will be impressed by Bale’s commitment to his role as Detective Landor, a character who occasionally becomes intimate with his token love interest, Patsy (Charlotte Gainsbourg, always radiant). Bale is solemn and intense in this part. Landor is written with tremendous depth until the mechanics of the plot change his motivations a bit as the story progresses. This is the type of movie that, if it were better, would require a second viewing to go through all the logistics of the story line a second time. There are some jaw-dropping revelations that would make more sense if you go back to the beginning of the picture to watch it again after learning them. But, there’s not enough substance to the earlier scenes to make it worthwhile.

Timothy Spall is also in the picture as Superintendent Thayer who steals scenes right out from the actors he plays opposite but his character ultimately gets lost in the shuffle. Lucy Boynton is a terrific actress but she is, unfortunately, cut from the proceedings prematurely. Boynton fleshes out her character significantly but her scenes with Melling only work in spurts.

The Pale Blue Eye has some things going for it. That Howard Shore score is truly intense and keeps the momentum of the movie pumping until things take a turn for the worse in the plot and the story spirals out of control. Bale is more than adequate at playing down-and-out and the cinematography sets the mood of the movie. All the elements for a great thriller were present except for the perfect screenplay. While Scott Cooper may have remained faithful to Louis Bayard’s novel, the casting of Harry Melling would have required some revisions to the story to make it work more fluidly. Melling still has some good moments in the picture. This film, though, is simply a case of style over substance.

Rating: 6/10

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