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Emily Rose is dead. No, I didn't just give away the ending of the movie - that's how the movie begins. From the very start, the wind of suspense is taken right out of its sails with Emily's death. With a title like "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," one would expect a wild-ride thriller dealing with the supernatural. Unfortunately, "Rose" plays off like an episode of "The Practice."
This movie is a courtroom drama with flashbacks of Rose's struggle with the supernatural. Agnostic lawyer Erin Brunner (Laura Linney), will take any case and win at all costs to make senior partner in her firm. She is assigned to defend Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who is being charged for the negligent homicide of Rose (Jennifer Carpenter).
Prosecutor Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott) argues that Rose was never and never could have been possessed by demons or anything along those grounds (kind of ironic, as he is a religious man). Thomas says Rose really suffered from psychosis and epilepsy. Brunner, rather than refute the evidence of psychology, attempts to validate the possibility of exorcism and demonic possession. She even finds a cultural anthropologist (Shohreh Agahdashloo) to collaborate with and give evidence of the subject.
This is the movie's first of multiple errors. Its failure to identify itself as a courtroom drama or a thriller / horror flick confuses the audience and leaves no solid base. The film should be dealing with Emily Rose but instead focuses more on Brunner and the verdict of Father Moore. It's meant to to frighten about the supernatural but spends about 50 percent of the time in the courtroom.
Watch a girl possessed by demon spirits or hear the prosecutor object on the grounds of "silliness?" I choose focusing on demonic possession.
That's where co-writer and director Scott Derrickson lets us down. The story of Emily Rose is quite an astonishing tale with amazing tape recordings, but he strays from the tale too often. The writing should have stayed focused on Rose's life and her struggle rather than an agnostic lawyer and the exoneration of a priest.
The scariest part of the movie is that the tape of the exorcism is real - the truth gives the audience a scare. People come to this movie hoping it will scare the crap out of them, but the only scary parts are those of Rose's possession - and those are lacking.
Looking back at other movies that deal with the devil, demons or possession you think of "The Exorcist" and "The Omen." Comparing this movie to such classics is shameful. "Rose" is more of an excuse to get your girlfriend to hold you tight. There will be no nightmares after this movie, unless it is because you're afraid of lawyers.
- 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' is currently in theaters.
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