Rising above horror. Review on The Exorcism of Emily Rose Movie

This under-publicised, small movie rings a bell because of the title. It reminds you of the movie that rocked the world in the 70s. Comparisons are but natural; so the challenge is to beat expectations.

The movie is based on a true story that happened in Germany. A young girl apparently affected by epilepsy and psychosis seeks the help of a priest when medicine doesn't seem to help. They go for an exorcism and it fails fatally. The priest is taken to court and what happens is the rest of the interesting plot. Quite a few deviations are taken from the original story, the most obvious one being the story happening in the US.

With just a brief introduction to what happened to Emily, the rest of the story unfolds through many people, as part of the judicial case. The movie is focussed on telling the story and doesn't resort to run-of-the-mill thrills. Some scenes are quite chilling, but the movie doesn't rely on suspense. With the screenplay creating enough curiosity and demanding attention, that is not even required. The audience slowly learn what actually happened. A few loop-holes in the script are not really noticeable.

The striking aspect of the movie is that it goes beyond horror into religion and human feelings. With a variety of characters to watch, the audience is made to relate to atleast one of them. The lawyers arguing against their actual beliefs is the most important paradox. Though the real-life story has been liberally adapted to arouse interest, the honesty in telling the story stands out.

Linney, as the primary character through whom the story is narrated, does very well. The best portions are when she expresses the confusions in her mind without any dialogues. Wilkinson lives the role of the exorcist. Carpenter is adequate, her face especially being well-suited for the role, in both normal and possessed states. The rest of the cast does fine.

The background score is unobtrusive and so are art direction, costumes and make-up. The rushing kind of effect in the horror scenes, created by cinematography and editing seems a bit overdone though.

If you go in for horror, you get a good deal of it. In addition, there is a lot to think about personal beliefs, religion, etc. The fresh approach clearly impresses.