Is there a spirit world? Is evil in us or is it a force from another realm? Can science provide an explanation for everything? Does fact win out over faith? These are all questions I thought about after seeing The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In our current political climate, many see religion as an obsolete philosophy, and it's followers get branded as zealots. God is dead, if He ever existed (according to non-believers and the supposed free thinkers of our day) and science can explain away anything previous cultures attributed to Him. And according to others, the President is a lesser leader because he is a believer.

So then this movie, centered around religion, comes along and doesn't try to preach to us. But it does ask us to admit it is all possible in some way. Perhaps this movie is as timely and important as it is entertaining in some subtle way.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based on the true story of a young woman named Anneleise Michel who, in 1968, developed what appeared to be the onset of seizures consistent with epilepsy. But with the seizures came visions of evil, the inability of Anneleise to eat food, and very bizarre and shocking behavior. Her parents called upon the clergy to determine if their daughter was possessed by demonic forces, and in 1975 the Church affirmed their belief this was truly a case of possession.

For horror fans such as myself, hearing that a movie has been made about such a story is a godsend (I suppose there's a pun in there somewhere).

But for those who haven't heard, do not go into this film expecting to see something like The Exorcist. At it's core, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a courtroom drama about the negligent homicide case brought against the priest who carried out the exorcism and was in charge of Emily's care. It takes place after Emily has died and we learn of her story through court testimony and flashbacks.

The plot focuses on defense attorney, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) as she prepares to defend Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) against charges that he caused the death of Emily by convincing her to discontinue being treated for epilepsy and instead working on a religious solution to her suffering. Ms. Bruner is a real go-getter of an attorney, and defending the priest in this case may just earn her the full partnership she's been pushing for at her firm. She is an agnostic, and is more concerned with how to win the case rather than pay attention to what Father Moore has to say about the matter.

All that changes, however, when, as she is preparing her case, Erin starts to experience strange phenomena and Father Moore explains there are dark forces at work that do not welcome her involvement.

The trial clues us in on Emily's first encounter with what she believed were demonic forces, and goes on to show us the prosecution's reasons for believing medical and psychological issues were at the root of Emily's suffering.

I found this to be a movie with dual identities, in that it really is almost two movies in one. There is the horror movie aspect that I enjoyed, and then there is the "Law and Order" plotline. I do not like movies/shows about lawyers and legal matters in general, but I did enjoy the way this trial played out. The intellectual courtroom scenes were balanced well with the creepy flashbacks and assorted suspenseful realtime scenes.

The acting in this film is very good, from the main characters to the supporting cast. There's not a bad performance in the bunch. Linney is an amazingly good actress and I believe if this film garners mainstream attention, it will lead to her getting bigger roles. She deserves it. Wilkinson's Father Moore is played well also. He sells the fact that his character is less concerned about his own fate than making sure the truth (or what he believes is the truth) about Emily is told to the public. Campbell Scott is wonderful as the very stern prosecution attorney, Ethan Thomas. His wrangling with Erin, Judge Brewster and several witnesses makes the potentially cold and flat courtroom scenes come alive and remain almost as interesting as the scenes of possession. And, of course, there's Jennifer Carpenter's intense role as Emily. Carpenter makes us buy into the scenes where Emily is possessed without making it campy or stupid. Her performance must have been physically challenging, but she pulls it off just fine.

As for the atmosphere, this is a dark and dreary film. The exterior scenes are usually rainy and gray, and the interiors are dimly lit in many cases. Even the courtroom is very plain, as opposed to some of the courts we are used to seeing on TV with their expansive, hand carved wood rails and benches and finished hardwood floors.

As for the exorcism itself, I will not go into too much detail, but I will say that is it gripping and suspenseful. It's without the overt gore and shock of The Exorcist, but I think it has a great feel and just wish it had been a bit longer.

The special effects are nothing to write home about, but they get the job done. The sound is outstanding though, especially the voice effects used for Emily. Very eerie and haunting.

The film is rated PG-13, and if you have read other reviews I've done here at Epinions, you know that is a big red flag when I see a horror movie get that dreaded rating. It usually means the film has been toned down in order to get a larger audience. But TEOER doesn't appear to suffer by being PG-13. It works without lots of gore. There are no sexual situations, and there isn't even a lot of swearing. It just doesn't need these things.

My favorite thing about the movie is that it doesn't try to make you believe what happened to Emily Rose was possession or science. There are compelling, if somewhat brief and glossed over, arguments for medical and religious explanations. You can apply your own logic to the story and rationalize it however you'd prefer.

My only real gripe about the film is that the courtroom scenes are shot and played out in a way where you think you are watching a made-for-TV movie. Obviously, many of the details that could have been included had to be skimmed over in order to fit in a 2 hour running time. The prosecution's preparation for the real life trial took over two years. And the Church's research into whether Anneleise Michel was actually possessed took a long time as well.

There is a lot to like in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and I think many people will find it enjoyable...as long as they aren't expecting a full-blown horror film with rotating heads and projectile pea soup vomiting!



Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older