The Rite - Movie review

The Rite
A; Horror
Dir: Mikael Hafstrom
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ciaran Hinds, Colin O'Donoghue
Rating: ''1/2



What's it about: It's not quite The Exorcist, but it deals with the topic of exorcism in depths and details like no other movie. After Hannibal Lecter, Hopkins takes on another sinister role asu00a0 Father Lucas Trevant who mentors Michael Kovak (Donoghue) on the subject of the devil. Most of the film deals with various aspects of demonic possession. To add in moments of scare there are the scenes of nails gnashing through walls, biblical chants spoken out loud to curb the devil's appetite for destruction and a whole load of material that makes its way mostly through dialogue.

What's hot: The Rite succeeds in creating moments of horror that don't need blood and gore to substantiate its point of view. Instead, it banks on the human mind and psyche to validate its case. Hopkins looks the part of a priest and seems to have done proper research and homework before taking on the part. Those wanting to see a debate between believers and non-believers of the dark entities will be in for a treat. There's a lot of dialogue and talking that happens in the first half giving references and quoting learned men and texts on the subject.

What's not: While the first part successfully creates a buildup, the second equally lets us down. There is a lack of cohesiveness in the way H ufffdfstr m wants to tell his story. Instead of letting the characters engage each other, he puts them into boxes making them do the expected. The film maker making claims that his project is based on real-life incidents and characters seems like a gimmick increasingly used by the West to give themselves a certificate of authenticity. The Rite seems confused ufffd is it a horror film or a cerebral documentary on what's to be believed and what's not.

What to do: Watch it if exorcism and possession intrigues you, otherwise revisit the original masterpiece Exorcist for a real scare.