Given my obsession as of late with cinema exploring the realm of demonic possession and exorcism, I thought it only appropriate to seize upon the opportunity to see this recent effort from Spain. I had seen the theatrical trailer sometime in January, and while browsing Time Warner Cable's "On Demand" service last week, I noticed that Exorcismus was available via "IFC In Theaters." While I rented the film primarily to satisfy my need for a fix of my latest addiction, I also had noticed that there was only one review of the film on RottenTomatoes. So, I thought, why not pen a review myself?
Fifteen-year-old Emma Evans (Sophie Vavasseur, in an outstanding performance) has locked herself inside her bathroom, and is sobbing for reasons unknown. Then, she decides to take a small portable mirror, break it, and cut her palm with one of the shards. Though the initial assumption might be that she is doing this as a result of her emotional state, the film frequently reverts back to this scene and the events leading up to it as it progresses, gradually disclosing information that points to a more grand revelation. Anyways, the next day Emma seems to be fine, her bandaged hand attributed to an "accident," so as not to concern her parents. She seems almost a stereotypically rebellious adolescent at first glance - she is frustrated with her parents because they will not let her attend a concert with her friends and because they will not let her attend public school (Emma and her younger brother, Mark, are home-schooled). After a routine argument, Emma storms off and then suddenly falls to the floor and begins seizing.
Emma is taken to the hospital and put through a battery of tests, all of which are negative; nobody seems to know what provoked her seizure. It becomes apparent rather quickly, though, that something is terribly wrong with Emma. She begins hallucinating and occasionally losing control of herself for brief periods of time - during which she is prone to acts of violence against her family. Then, during a session with a psychologist, Emma is placed under hypnosis, only to awaken to find the psychologist dead from a heart attack. Her parents are worried to tears, unsure what is wrong or what exactly to do; her brother refuses to go near her. Emma believes she is possessed, which prompts her to visit her uncle, Christopher (Stephen Billington), a Catholic priest who was recently suspended from his duties as a result of an exorcism that lead to the death of a teenage girl (how convenient, no?). It does not take much to convince him that she is indeed possessed, and an inexplicable event soon after is enough to convince her nonreligious parents as well.
Christopher agrees to perform an exorcism, and if that were not odd enough to raise an eyebrow considering his suspension, he does not notify the church and requests of Emma's parents that he be allowed to record his sessions, so that he maybe present them as evidence. As the days go by, though, Emma only becomes worse; the demon inside of her only grows stronger, which does not bode well for those closest to her. What occurs when the demon takes control is what one tends to expect from this sort of film: screaming obscenities at the priest, offering carnal knowledge of Emma, manipulating others through deception, eyes rolled back, deep evil voice, etc.
Exorcismus, however, is not without a few shining sparks of originality - details I cannot reveal without spoiling the film entirely. What I can say is that while most films dealing with the subject matter are explorations of faith, Exorcismus is ultimately more concerned with human nature than anything else, particularly the more fallible aspects. The viewer does not spend the majority of the film watching characters who wonder if perhaps Emma is not really possessed; it becomes apparent fairly quickly. This allows the viewer to concern his/her self with more pertinent questions surrounding the actions of the characters on screen and their motivations for them. There is a twist or two to be found late into the film, which lays most of the lingering oddity or mystery to rest while managing to be somewhat thought-provoking. Also, I should note that while Doug Bradley (who for many years played Pinhead in the Hellraiser films) was among those to receive top billing for the film, his appearance is but a very brief one at the end of the film.
B
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