The Rite

The Rite looked like it would be a mixed bag right from the start. The film seemed to suffer the same fate many other films before it fell victim to and that's giving away too much of the storyline in the trailers. On top of that, it was a film that revolved around exorcism which is a subject that usually leads to disappointing results. Expectations would lead one to believe that The Rite would have enough momentum to reel you in only to drop the ball during its finale similar to last year's The Last Exorcism (except hopefully without the appearance of a neon red, glow in the dark fetus). Luckily, the film has a few surprises up its sleeve.

The cinematography in the film is probably the first thing you'll notice visually. The opening of the film makes things like dripping embalming fluid, a swing set on a playground, and an overturned shopping cart seem more interesting than they really are. Rain is an element used fairly often in the film to usually signify when something has gone wrong or is about to. Whether the camera is placed up high to make it seem like you're looking down on the cast from the heavens or down low as if you're looking up at them from the depths of the earth, the rain sequences in the film are definitely some of the most memorable due to the camera work.

This is probably a pretty obvious statement, but the film is worth seeing for Anthony Hopkins alone. It's not that Colin O'Donoghue does poorly since he certainly has a strong screen presence and does a fantastic job carrying the film, but Hopkins just manages to trump that while stealing every scene he's in and rightfully so. Father Lucas Trevant is the strongest and creepiest role Hopkins has played since Hannibal Lecter and his best role overall in years. It's just amazing seeing a man in his seventies give a performance that's this physical and this absorbing. Speaking of distinguished actors, it was nice seeing Rutger Hauer as well even if it was just for a small role.

The dream sequences and hallucinations in the film may have been my hands down favorite. I've always been a fan of the surreal, the imaginative, the creative, and the things that don't seem to make sense at first but gain meaning as the film or story progresses. I never thought I'd find myself intrigued with the actions of a mule or that frogs could have an even deeper meaning than what you're probably expecting, but The Rite accomplishes this very well.

Thankfully, The Rite delivers an exorcism film that is actually worth seeing. It'll probably be forgotten about in a year filled with so many blockbuster film releases, but considering that January and February are usually filled with such monstrous duds at the box office The Rite manages to surpass expectations. While the film does seem rather reminiscent of The Last Exorcism and borrows the atmosphere from the Heath Ledger film The Order, The Rite is actually a better experience overall. With an engrossing performance by Anthony Hopkins along with a fairly strong cast all around, its fantastic cinematography, surreal dream sequences, and a satisfying conclusion that doesn't hint at a sequel, The Rite is actually a surprisingly decent film all around. Evren Buyruk

"The Rite" is an American supernatural horror film about an American seminary student who travels to Italy to take an exorcism course. The turn of events at Rome make him question his self beliefs and embark him on a journey of self fruition and worldly truth.

Cast wise, No complain. Anthony Hopkins seems very natural for his role of Father Lucas, an unorthodox Exorcist who questions his faith after a failed exorcism. His performance,specially the devil possessed climax performance brings in mind the chilling menace he showcased in "Silence Of The Lambs" or "Fracture" etc. Newcomer Colin O'Donoghue plays his role of an upcoming reluctant Priest cum Exorcist with diligence and audacity. His appearance,something of a mixture of dark and white makes him an ideal candidate for Batman's Bruce Wayne role. His performance was not over-the-top nor was it beginner's mess. Rest chips in well in their roles.

"The Rite" strength and weakness both lies in its Storyline. Fact is the storyline deals with the sensitive issues of demonic possession, faith contradictions, exorcism, good versus bad issues in a very delicate ways. Neither the Director injects heroic acts to make it entertaining nor incorporate gore and violence to make an impact. Everything is dealt in a very instinctual manner, rendering the movie being liked by a section of viewers for its authenticity and veracious dealing with its subject material; on the other hand, being distasteful to the other section of viewers for being non entertaining and devoid of gore and violence.

Overall, "The Rite" has something missing and something present. Even though the subject material might be difficult to digest for most viewers, "The Rite" succeeds in capturing the viewer's attention and appreciation.

My Verdict: 7/10

I will watch anything that has the magical Anthony Hopkins in, and he doesn't disappoint in The Rite, he is as charismatic and commanding as always.

The trouble is, that the film is unbelievably tedious, despite a few shocks, and the odd grizzly moment, I genuinely had to fight to stay awake.

It was trying to depict the role of the church in the present day, whilst delving into the subject or exorcism, which has surely been done way too many times.

Nice to see Hopkins using his Welsh accent, watch it for him, but just don't expect to be wowed.

A disappointing 5/10

The Rite is a good and very atmospheric exorcism film. Although released clearly not in a good time for this sub-genre, it still holds up well even 10 years later.

The setting is nice, the cinematography is great. It's not a demon-slasher like the more recent pieces of this sub-genre (like The Nun) and it plays more into the psychological aspect (just as the director did with 1408), this is how I like my exorcism films.

But what really makes this work for me, it's the performances. This film is carried by acting, and although most of the cast did a great job, O'Donoghue, Hauer...Hopkins stole the show. You get completely immersed in his performance, every detail, every emotion is projected through it. It is clearly one of his best if not the best roles since The Silence of the Lambs.

The story itself of course isn't perfect, and it has some elements reminiscent of the time, but when Hopkins is on screen, you just completely forget about everything else.

Personally, I think the film is way underrated on IMDB, especially if you compare the rating to more recent entries in this sub-genre.

A strong recommendation.

After losing faith in the exorcism sub-genres and my sister telling me how average this movie was, i didn't expect much from The Rite. Honestly, the only reason i watched it was because of Anthony Hopkins, and i am glad i did. This movie has everything that fans want in an exorcism movie. Some people may find it a bit slow paced but the movie does not steer off course, every minute is relevant to the storyline.

Even in his 70's, Mr Hopkins did just what was expected from him. He gave a powerful performance which scared the living hell out of me and played his most convincing role since Hannibal Lector but surprisingly so did someone else, someone who i had never heard of. Yes, i am talking about Colin O'Donoghue, who managed to stay in the light and make a great connection with his co-stars. Every character in the movie was fully utilized specially that of Alice Braga.

I find that many people fail to see the spark in this film, and the only reason i can think of is that people these days are too fond of gore which this movie lacks. Surely, The Rite is not for the "Doubters" but for the people who believe and have interest in this subject.

After decades of miserable exorcism movies, finally we got us a winner. Can i dare say that this movie is better than The Exorcist?, No i cant but this is definitely the "Second Best" ..

Now i can confidently say that "you were wrong big sister".

With solid performances, amazing cinematography and mind blowing sound effects, i give it a 9/10.