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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 22.83%
Worth A Look: 36.96%
Average: 18.48%
Pretty Bad: 18.48%
Total Crap: 3.26%
8 reviews, 44 user ratings
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| Exorcism of Emily Rose, The |
by Chris Wilson
"If The Exorcist were remade by obsessed Law & Order fans…"
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I don’t imagine many people out there are salivating for a supernatural thriller turned courtroom drama but those few that have been waiting for such a thing should waste no time checking out The Exorcism of Emily Rose. While the title makes it sound like a cheap knockoff of another famous movie about exorcism or possibly a documentary on the subject, it’s actually quite a different take from what I expected. And mostly in a good way.The story is a very fictionalized version of a court case involving a young woman whose death coincides with an attempted exorcism. In the film, rising star attorney Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is tapped to defend Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), a priest accused of causing the death of Emily Rose. Through interviews and testimony the audience gets flashbacks to the events that led to Emily’s death.
The setup and execution may sound hokey but it works for the most part. The pacing is steady despite all the flashing back and forth, though by the last third of the movie the judicial dramatics take over. Though the film isn’t a full blown fright fest, prior to the last act it definitely has some very creepy and atmospheric moments. While there’s no split pea soup puking, head spinning or cross abusing to be found, I found the lack of sensationalizing much more frightening. It’s by far the scariest courtroom film ever made (unless you count Pauley Shore in Jury Duty).
The fact that the supernatural horror plays out over a courtroom battle actually works in the film’s favor. While Bruner defends Father Moore and we see mostly his side of the story, the prosecution is constantly providing alternative ways of looking at things. For example, Emily may very well have had epilepsy. And the languages she is supposed to have spoken during her possession are all languages she had contact with. It was refreshing to receive a skeptical side to the story and have some holes poked in the plot. While it would hurt many films, a topic as controversial as exorcism demands a well-rounded approach.
Though the joining of two genres works in this aspect, neither part is especially compelling on its own. The legal side of the film isn’t especially gripping (Father Moore, the only character with much at stake, refuses a generous plea deal) and there just aren’t enough scares to satisfy hardcore horror buffs. Fans of either genre are sure to be disappointed. In this, the film commits the typical shortcoming of trying to do too much and doesn’t fully succeed at anything.
Further hurting the film is its need to be frightening. The movie hints at unseen evil forces harassing Erin Bruner. While this is fine in the testimony flashbacks, as those are meant to be one person’s interpretation, when done in the film’s present day it becomes a cheap way of trying to make the tension more immediate. Unfortunately, the actual character you’re meant to care about is dead when the story starts. While the film points out the alternative ways of looking at things, it becomes difficult to remain objective when the story so blatantly supports the supernatural side.I wish I could give this film four stars. It far exceeded the expectations I had from both the title and the terrible ad campaign. But it really is only average. Neither side of the story is especially great, though together they do manage to explore exorcism in a unique and less biased way. Ultimately what the film lacks is something that transcends the material. The Exorcist, while shamelessly flawed in its portrayal of exorcism, told a personal tale of fighting inner demons and regaining faith. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is interesting and entertaining but definitely has some demons of its own holding it back.
 del.icio.us 
link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=13052&reviewer=400
originally posted: 09/09/05 17:40:53
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USA
09-Sep-2005 (PG-13)
DVD: 20-Dec-2005
UK
N/A
Australia
27-Oct-2005
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