The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Not as bad as some critics would lead you to believe

It wasen't gory or jump out of your shoes scary, more on the style of Rosemary's Baby, because of the sincere acting I thought was well done. It mostly takes place in a courtroom, with flashbacks as the priest and others recall what happened. Enjoy. September 15, 2008

tisnoof

This is a great movie. I have read the book, and of course the movie
always leaves somethings out. After watching the movie I went back on the internet and researched the topic a little more than I did after reading the book. Excellent movie and great read. Thanks again Amazon!!! September 7, 2008

LAW MEETS LORE IN A BORE WITH NO GORE

First, being an attorney, I was disappointed with the handling of the courtroom scenes in this movie. Besides these being procedurally nonsensical, much could have been done that wasn't.
When you have a movie with this topic, why wouldn't you have a voir dire scene when the lawyers are trying to pick a jury? You would, but it isn't there. Great conflict could have been created in a jury selection scene. But it wasn't.
The exoricsm scenes were really Linda Blair Lite, and were less horrifying than a Richard Simmons exercise video--so if you are a horror fan, you will be disappointed.
Now the acting was good, but not great. It was conventional, expected. How much more interesting would the priest have been if he had some self doubt. How much more interesting would the defense attorney have been if her potential alcoholism was played up a bit--her own demons, as she remarked. How much more interesting would the prosecutor have been, if we saw some conflicts about what he was doing at his home with his family.
Much greater tension could have been created--but it wasn't. Why? Simple--the writers weren't that profound, that concerned, or frankly--that bright. September 2, 2008

Intriguing mix of Court Room and chiller

With such a recent plethora of movies based on torture and gore to achieve their chills, it is refreshing to find a movie that retains some intelligence and still manages to get a few spine-chilling moments, with barely a speck of blood or guts to be seen.
First and foremost, this is a court room drama. And yet there is an interesting twist, because the subject is one based on belief, not on facts.. and it makes for some interesting moral questions. The movie starts at the tail end of events as the priest is taken into custody. A young woman, Emily Rose, has died in his care following an exorcism. Was it neglect on his part keeping her from medical care for a psychotic epilepsy condition, or were his efforts justified and in fact medical intervention nullified the effects of the exorcism? We are led through the events in flashback throughout the course of the trial, sometimes to eery effect, as the priest refuses to cut a deal and insists on telling Emily's story to a jury.
At the centre of the movie is the relationship between Laura Linney's jaded and agnostic defence counsel and her client the priest played by Tom Wilkinson. The two leads play with conviction, but Jennifer Carpenter's physically demanding role of Emily Rose should not be overlooked.
Admirably, the tone is not one of full on shocks and scares - there is a neutrality which gives you space to make your own mind up, and yet allow you to see events as the Father Moore and Emily saw them. It's this intelligence towards the subject which sets this apart from most other recent horror movies and makes this worth watching.
June 20, 2008

Better than the original Exorcist.

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this movie.
Oh goody, another Exorcist rip off.
WRONG!!!
More courtroom drama than horror movie.
Just my opinion, it's better than the original exorcist.
Here's why, its way more believable, the filmmakers give you the choice to decide whether or not she was possessed or mentally ill.
Granted the original exorcist was groundbreaking in many ways and can never be touched.
For shock value alone, it will be remembered long after Emily has hit the bargin shelf.
Pity, in this day and age it takes more than shock to even get people into the theater.
Emily accomplishes this. Too bad the filmmakers took such liberties with the real story.
I won't spoil things here but the info is out there online.
I had four family members watch this and they are not horror fans and they loved this movie.
Less horror, more thriller.
Highly recommended, but not for kids.
Parents as always, use your common sense.
June 18, 2008

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