I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised with The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It felt like it started off a little slow. Many exorcism movies do I guess. But what separates this one from a multitude of exorcism / possession films that have come before it is that much of it takes place in the court room. It’s like cross over exorcism flick meets court room drama. LA Law meets the Exorcist. I find to be a really interesting take on what could have been a very run-of-the-mill exorcism flick. Others may find it a bit tedious. Depends if you like a good courtroom drama I guess.
The Plot.
The movie recounts from the witness stand and the mouth of Father Richard Moore, the catholic priest that conducted the exorcism of Emily Rose. The events of which could have either been a demonic possession or a psychotic episode depending on which side of the proceedings your sense of logic takes you. Events which led to the untimely death of young Emily, a university student who’d just started studying after winning a scholarship. The gore levels aren’t too high but the movie never looses its focus. It is always interesting and keeps the viewer captivated.
MY OPINION
This would cross over well with non-horror fans and horror fans alike. The movie is well thought out and its obvious the creators have researched the subject matter (or had a thorough prior knowledge) in the occult and cases of demonic possession . The finer touches like this really made this feel authentic. I really can’t say enough good things about this film.
Some people say the mark of a good movie is to make you believe. In many cases I tend to agree with that. This FELT real. When recounting the events of the Emily Rose trial, Fr. Moore’s testimony and the films depictions of the events really do make you question whether or not demonic possession can occur. On side issue, I couldn’t help but wonder about the logistics of the court case. Testimony involving the supernatural (much less demonic possession) generally wouldn’t be taken seriously in any court. Yet most western world court rooms are quite happy to have you swear on a bible. Just an observation I made.
All I can do is tell you to check The Exorcism of Emily Rose out for yourself. If you can’t find it on you tube in the ‘available to rent’ format and I’m sure any dvd retailer should have it.
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