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FILM REVIEW - Exorcism aims higher than norm
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The modern horror genre is one inundated with exploitative shlock or lazy
remakes so it is always pleasing to see a film that isn’t afraid to aim a
bit higher.
Allegedly based on a true story this tells the tale of a court case in which
a priest is being prosecuted for the death of a teenage girl during an
exorcism.
The exorcism is told in flashback style by witnesses in the dock.
It is a concept that works fairly well because it allows the audience to get
both sides of what happened or what possibly happened. But how much you get
out of this film really depends on our own belief system.
It is not a straightforward horror in that it leaves more to the
imagination. In that sense it is a success as the power of imagination is a
much more effective device than an avalanche of over-the-top computer
effects.
That’s not to say it isn’t scary — in places it is downright terrifying.
The cast all do a decent job here. Laura Linney is as excellent as ever as
the hard-hitting lawyer who takes the case because she lives for the
limelight.
Tom Wilkinson is a dab hand at this sort of thing and you can’t help but
empathise with his priest who may or not be paying the price for battling
the forces of evil.
Overall, it’s a well-crafted film that will have you thinking long after you
have left the cinema.
Patrick Ryan
n Starring Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson and Jennifer Carpenter.
Directed by Scott Derrickson. | 