After providing the traditional role of “guy in the family who knows how to fix computers” for my brother, as thanks he and his girlfriend paid my share of a visit to see The Exorcism of Emily Rose (spoilers there and here).

The film relocates the real tale of Anneliese Michel from Germany to the US and then confuses the hell out of everything. I can't say how this differ from the source material, but in the film, Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is accused of negligent homicide for the death of Emily Rose after a failed exorcism. Moore is defended in court by the agnostic Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), a hotshot lawyer hired by the Catholic Church to defend Moore on the proviso he doesn't testify and the case doesn't embarrass the church.

From the start, Bruner encounters wierdness. On one night her watch stops at exactly 3am. On another, at the same time she smells burning and finds all her electricity cut off. The time and events are important, as it turns out, as this is the witching hour (though it isn't) and similar things happened to Emily when she went to university. Emily is diagnosed with epilepsy (though, to me, it sounded more like she had sleep paralysis - but I've only had that once myself) and put on a course of drugs, which don't seem to work. Eventually she goes back to stay with her parents where they consult with Moore and decide she's possessed. The Father ropes in an old parishoner (Dr. Cartwright) of his who's a real psychiatrist and performs an exorcism, where Emily speaks in several languages, including Aramaic, and says she's possessed by six demons ranging from small beer like those who possessed Cain, Judas and Nero right up to the big cheese himself, Lucifer.

Up against such demonic heavyweights, the exorcism fails. Emily goes on to have a conversation with the virgin Mary who tells her she can die now or wait a bit longer and suffer, but bring into the secular world the great news about the supernatural really existing. She chooses the latter and Moore is arrested over her death and hence we get to the trial.

Now, all this bring up several questions...

1. If you're possessed by six of Hell's finest demons, how come your powers are limited to doing really creepy body contortions, eating spiders and speaking in dead languages? Satan's supposed to be second only to God in power, but we don't even get pea soup vomit or some walking on the ceiling. Outside of Emily, someone's manifesting a ghostly presence, burning smells, weeping paintings, all the lights going out and the odd vehicular homicide, which is at least a little more impressive. At one point Emily swings a hand at Moore - but doesn't even draw blood.
2. Speaking of vehicular homicides. Dr. Cartwright gets all scared off testifying by, according to what he says, the demons. He affectively agrees to their demands and is promptly killed. Who killed him? The demons? But he'd just done what they wanted... even if you take the view that they're evil, it's not good for their rep. Moreover, if they wanted him to keep quiet, then killing him by having him step in front of a moving car in front of Bruner is just too ostentatious. The other option? God kills him for giving into the demons, which is harsh.
3. Particularly as God seems to be running the show. If, as Mary says, Emily's sacrifice will result in greater publicity for the church, then Satan and his five buds are working for God anyway. Or if not actually on the payroll, then doing his work. Seems rather nasty of god to get a teenager possessed up and then killed just for more PR. Then again, this is the guy who knocked up someone else's wife.
4. Why is anyone bothering with the demonic stuff after the event anyway? If Bruner gets Moore off, that all but proves Emily was possessed I suppose. So if Bruner quits because of demonic events, whoever didn't want demonic possession proved would get the benefit. Assuming they hadn't made an important witness step in front of a car or anything.

Oh well. I think the movie really wanted to be The Exorcist but was hampered by not wanting to use anything that would really “prove” possession - kind of broke the story really. Most of the actors played their parts well, but it just doesn't work as a coherent story. C

Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/exorcismofemilyrose/site/