I had high expectations for "The Rite", which according to the poster stars Anthony Hopkins as an exorcist. Mikael Hafstrom (who guided 1408 and DeRailed remarkably well) directs, and the horror element with these two masters intrigued me even more. But this isn't The Silence of the Lambs by any means, nor is it The Exorcist.
The real star is Colin O'Donaghue's Michael Kovac, a young man from Chicago who runs a mortuary with his father (in a great performance by Rutger Hauer). The younger Kovac makes his way to a monestary headed by a Priest played by Toby Jones, who by a movie-coincidental turn of events suggests Kovac head to Rome to study the art of Exorcism.
Kovac arrives and meets the character of Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds), who quickly realizes that his new pupil is losing his faith. Seeing a bright mind that stands to be lost, Xavier suggests the hermit-seeming Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins, finally). Lucas quickly performs an exorcism, then another. And another. And pretty soon we can't help but ask ourselves if Rome has more exorcisms than Panera bread.
"The Rite" is a good movie that doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. Anthony Hopkins doesn't show up til a fourth of the way into the movie and still he is not at all the main character. O'Donaghue, who has to shoulder the burden of being the film as well as trying to hold a candle to Hopkins, does quite well. He is believable and no matter how clichéd his story is we want to see the best for him in the end.
Alice Braga is your typical horror movie heroine. She plays "Angelina", no last name, and is a ballsy reporter doing a story on exorcisms. The plot plays around with a romance for a bit before Kovac decides to become a priest. Rutger Hauer does a fine job in his bit part as the older Kovac. Likewise Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds.
Cinematography is also excellent. The shots of Rome and the interiors of the Vatican, Father Lucas' home, and the exorcisms themselves are filmed very well. The script is my main problem. In the middle of one of these exorcisms, Hopkins answers his phone and expects O'Donaghue to continue on. Badly used comic effect that not even Hopkins can save.
This is a mediocre film that doesn't take itself too, too seriously and made an enjoyable two hours or so. It's very much like so many movies coming out nowadays, however, in that it's just to forgettable.
The real star is Colin O'Donaghue's Michael Kovac, a young man from Chicago who runs a mortuary with his father (in a great performance by Rutger Hauer). The younger Kovac makes his way to a monestary headed by a Priest played by Toby Jones, who by a movie-coincidental turn of events suggests Kovac head to Rome to study the art of Exorcism.
Kovac arrives and meets the character of Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds), who quickly realizes that his new pupil is losing his faith. Seeing a bright mind that stands to be lost, Xavier suggests the hermit-seeming Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins, finally). Lucas quickly performs an exorcism, then another. And another. And pretty soon we can't help but ask ourselves if Rome has more exorcisms than Panera bread.
"The Rite" is a good movie that doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. Anthony Hopkins doesn't show up til a fourth of the way into the movie and still he is not at all the main character. O'Donaghue, who has to shoulder the burden of being the film as well as trying to hold a candle to Hopkins, does quite well. He is believable and no matter how clichéd his story is we want to see the best for him in the end.
Alice Braga is your typical horror movie heroine. She plays "Angelina", no last name, and is a ballsy reporter doing a story on exorcisms. The plot plays around with a romance for a bit before Kovac decides to become a priest. Rutger Hauer does a fine job in his bit part as the older Kovac. Likewise Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds.
Cinematography is also excellent. The shots of Rome and the interiors of the Vatican, Father Lucas' home, and the exorcisms themselves are filmed very well. The script is my main problem. In the middle of one of these exorcisms, Hopkins answers his phone and expects O'Donaghue to continue on. Badly used comic effect that not even Hopkins can save.
This is a mediocre film that doesn't take itself too, too seriously and made an enjoyable two hours or so. It's very much like so many movies coming out nowadays, however, in that it's just to forgettable.