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The Exorcism of Emily Rose review

Posted : 8 years, 5 months ago on 1 November 2015 04:45

Thoughts before I watched this.
1. I have heard about this for the 10 years it's been out.
2. It's constantly mentioned as one of the best and most unique of the exorcism sub-genre.
3. I honestly don't know why I have taken so long to see this for myself.
4. It has a surplus amount of highly recognizable faces some of which are A list and B list.
5. This was directed by Scott Derrickson.
6. As a director/writer of his own films like Sinister or Deliver Us From Evil he is amazing!
7. Whenever he works on the ideas of others with sequels or remakes however he tends to fail miserably.
8. I'm glad this is his own creation.
9. Paul Harris Boardman also writes here after making the same flops with Hellraiser: Inferno and Urban Legends: Final Cut with Scott Derrickson.
10. He also worked on Deliver Us From Evil with him as well.
11. I'm really hoping this continues my belief that he is better with his own stories.

Thoughts while I watched this.
1. Those screams are unsettling.
2. This atmosphere is pretty creepy.
3. That was an interesting beginning.
4. That would have been horrifying for anyone to experience!
5. Those demon images are actually pretty neat, but of course that would not be fun to really witness.
6. Jennifer Carpenter has such an epic screaming face.
7. Oh that's interesting for sure.
8. So you're just going to leave that broken glass on the floor?
9. Hell yeah Conrad Grayson aka Henry Czerny!
10. It's very interesting to see the visual representations of the medical and spiritual perspectives of each situation.
11. That would have screwed me up if I found my wife like that!
12. Oh when she spoke in German it seems like a reference to the actual story of what this is based from.
13. I didn't see that coming at all.
14. The ending was alright.
15. So they made it seem that Emily Rose was the real person and added little "facts" before the credits.

Thoughts after I watched this.
1. I do believe that possession is real and so therefore I am on the spiritual end of things.
2. It was definitely more so a courtroom drama rather than just horror.
3. They managed to keep it interesting enough to see how everything plays out.
4. I swear Jennifer Carpenter really pulls off the creepiness needed here.
5. It was a little bit too long and drawn out.
6. It wasn't bad though.
7. There were some great moments and good scares.
8. I thought it was a good one time watch.


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The Exorcism of Emily Rose review

Posted : 11 years, 11 months ago on 11 April 2012 04:32

This Scott Derrickson directed flick is a sort of a horror movie that makes your hair stand on end and leaves you weak from the inside. Even though it's main root is horror, it actually is more of a drama - court-room drama to be exact and it does a superb job in handling the above fields. The thing that makes it kinda different from most other court-room dramas is that it deals with supernatural forces and a dead girl. In the others, all the things that happen, murders, suicide whatever, are done by the people of earth whereas in this case, it's the Devil himself. It deals with possession, exorcism and rituals, the very things people see it from different points of view and from different religions and convincing a majority is not easy, especially if both the prey and the victim are not present. Like I said, this film offers more than just your usual horror, it makes you think about your position. This is not for the faint of heart, believe me!

Anyway, the cinematography is excellent and all the court-room scenes are greatly scripted and well fleshed out. But the main highlight is the exorcism scene in the barn. That's easily one of the most damn effective horror moments in recent horror history and it was superbly choreographed. It's scary in all senses and it's quite painful to watch. Then we have the performances; I'm gonna call out only 2: Campbell Scott as Ethan Thomas. His sleek, professional performance of the prosecutor was the best from the film. He doesn't twitch a smile neither he winks to the audience. He does what he has to, no questions asked and none of the silly crap. His best moment is his final speech near the end of the film. Then we have Jennifer Carpenter as the titular character. Even though she appears sporadically, she gave just about the greatest horror performance from the 2000's and I mean it! When I found out that she had done most of her "demonic" bodily contortions without the aid of visual effects and everything, I was like "just give her the damn award already". This was a dedicated performance and it shows brilliantly. From the supporting I also enjoyed Tom Wilkinson as Father Richard Moore which, in my opinion, is one of the best on-screen portrayal of a Father and Laura Linney in the lead role as Erin Bruner. I liked her performance too but she has done much better than that.

So, just like before taking up a new exercise regime or diet you should consul your doctor, you should ask yourself are you ready and are you prepared? Because if you're not, it will play with your head and might leave you disturbed...

8.1/10


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A good movie

Posted : 13 years ago on 25 March 2011 09:45

I really had no clue what to expect from this movie and, to be honest, I thought at first that it would be another underwhelming modern horror-thriller dealing with exorcism. Eventually, I have to admit that it was not bad at all after all. Indeed, it was in fact an interesting combination of two different genres (courtroom and exorcism) and I thought it was very well done with some good performances from the whole cast, especially by Tom Wilkison, Laura Linney and Jennifer Carpenter. Indeed, it was dealing with some interesting ideas, like how can you judge someone, a judgment which should be based on proven facts, when beliefs are at the centre of the whole process ? I thought it was quite captivating to watch, at least more captivating than your usual Hollywood thriller which always go for the cheap thrills instead of giving you some real things to think about. Unfortunately. it is too bad the movie was not really neutral and they clearly chose the side of the priest but I thought that there were not too much theatrics and it remained a very interesting reflection on the subject. Anyway, to conclude, it was actually a very well made and entertaining thriller and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.



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The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Posted : 13 years, 6 months ago on 12 September 2010 07:16

The Exorcism of Emily Rose was a heartbreaking ordeal for me. Why? Because the project had POTENTIAL written in large black ink all over it, but what happened? I'm still not sure. The ideas are there, the cast is there and the cinematography is there too. I'm just not sure where it went off into eye-rolling, laughably bad territory. I blame the script which saddles characters with the clunky and cringe-inducing bits of dialogue.

Laura Linney tries to anchor this unwieldy mess as much as she can with a reliable strong acting performance that is full of acting with a little a. It's a pity that her character's trajectory is so painfully clichéd and trite that it only furthers the eye-rolling. She’s a woman who’s fallen away from spirituality and wholesome values and into the perilous existence of being a single career woman. Excuse while I snort with laughter and disgust. Tom Wilkinson tries his best with what is being given to him, but even his immense talents can’t rise above this material. Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose contorts and twists her body into poses that look more like yoga than demonic possession. Her performance made me think that she was a young woman with religious zeal but severe schizophrenia, or some similar mental illness. She thrust herself gamely into the performance, but, again, is given laughably bad dialogue to say. What demon would say “Trick or treat, I give you tricks: One, two, three, four, five, six!”? And, when the ‘big reveal’ tells us that, yes, she is ‘possessed’ by six demons and one of them is the devil, instead of altering her voice into something disturbing they left it alone. The effect is that of a kitten mewing at you and expecting terror when it should have been like coming to face to face with a hungry lion. Shohreh Aghdashloo, always reliable for a strong supporting performance, is utterly wasted in a glorified cameo.

The Big Idea behind it all is unknowable, which isn’t a real issue, but what is the real issue? It purports to be the true story of Emily Rose, but a quick search with Wikipedia will tell you that is pure tripe. Science and medicine or theology and religious mysticism, which is it? You can only believe in one. It’s the argument that you can only believe in one that truly angers and upsets me. Personally, I have no real religious beliefs, nor do I want any, but I believe that there is a middle ground to be had. This film argues that no middle ground can exist.

It isn’t just the way that script egregiously makes its arguments, but the dialogue that it uses to make those arguments that upsets me so. What priest would say “The game is on!” twice? Once during the exorcism, seen only in pieces during extended flashbacks since this film is actually a courtroom drama, and once during the trial with each utterance leading to a combination of stifled laughter and cringe from me as I watched. And in a film that is trying to make me think and feel some kind of frightened and nervous tension unintentional laughter is the last thing that they wanted. Well, what do you expect with such a fourth-rate script?

[What ever became of the real Emily Rose? Well, for starters, she suffered from epileptic seizures long before claiming demonic possession, suffered from severe bouts of depression, hallucinations and heard voices. She claimed she was demonically possessed for over a year, received over seventy exorcisms and died of dehydration and malnutrition. The priests and her parents were found guilty of manslaughter, and the court found that she was epileptic and not demonically possessed. I agree with the court.]


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An underrated horror gem

Posted : 15 years, 7 months ago on 11 August 2008 08:46

"Once you've looked into the darkness I think you carry it with you for the rest of your life."


The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a distinctively unique horror movie. The film's storyline is loosely based on the true story of a German woman named Anneliese Michel: in 1976, young Michel died following a series of unsuccessful exorcisms when it was believed that she was possessed by demonic forces. The film is essentially an "Americanised" version of these events that unfolded in the 1970s. Anneliese Michel has been replaced with the character of Emily Rose (Carpenter), and the events have been transplanted into a rural American setting.

To most audiences, the title probably implies a link to the 1970s horror classic The Exorcist. However, The Exorcism of Emily Rose does not follow the path of a mainstream horror movie. Instead of scenes showcasing gore-fests and geysers of blood that lacks suspense, the filmmakers have alternatively produced a drama/horror hybrid. The film mixes courtroom drama with a supernatural thriller. The audience is offered intelligent and insightful discussion that present scientific evidence in relation to religious phenomena.

The Rose family lives in an isolated farmhouse in pastoral America. The opening scene establishes the situation: 19-year-old teenage girl Emily Rose has died and her family are in mourning. Those investigating the death of Emily ultimately arrest the Rose family's priest, Father Moore (Wilkinson), for negligent homicide as a result of performing an unsuccessful exorcism. Father Moore begins denying any deals that fly in his direction, stating that he wishes to reveal the true story of Emily Rose. Agnostic lawyer Erin Bruner (Linney) is hired to defend Father Moore. As the trial against Father Moore commences, the story of Emily Rose is conveyed through flashback. While doctors insist Emily's condition appears like a severe case of psychosis or epilepsy, other views are uncovered as further testimonies are presented. The evidence revealed could prove that Emily was in fact possessed by several satanic demons.

The greatest aspect of The Exorcism of Emily Rose is that it never seems to jam a single perspective down the throat of the audience. Instead the film offers compelling arguments for numerous possibilities. Was Emily actually possessed or is it a bunch of religious superstition? This question is never explicitly addressed...allowing an audience to form their own interpretations.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a competently crafted supernatural horror film. The film doesn't conform to the typical formula for a horror movie. The formula is instead disregarded: this is courtroom drama melded with intense, suspenseful horror sequences. The occasionally cheesy melodramatic courtroom drama is balanced with several scenes that will send chills down your spine. The scene depicting the exorcism is particularly haunting and terrifying. When one considers that this is based on a true story, things become far scarier. Whether you believe in religion or not, it's virtually impossible not to find this film scary. It's simply one of the most effective chillers in recent memory. At times it scared the living daylights out of me. Director Scott Derrickson proves competent at the helm. The use of his sets and locations make things far more atmospheric and effectual. The music further reinforces the chilling tone.

Laura Linney handles her role capably. Cue the smart outfit and the typical lawyer persona, and it's almost like Linney was aiming for an Oscar nomination. The script provides her with a suitable character. Tom Wilkinson is remarkable as Father Moore. He gives his religious rambling far more credibility with his facial expressions and passion sizzling in his eyes. Personally I've never taken a liking for the actor, but now my respect has elevated enormously. Young Jennifer Carpenter steals the show as the young Emily Rose. She's convincing, deep and unforgettable.

Overall, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is criminally underrated. While genre aficionados may not find the drama to their liking, I found the film to be original, engrossing and entertaining. With plenty of suspense and a solid script, this movie is recommended viewing.

8.3/10



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