So the Catholic Church issued
an order for every diocese to have an exorcist and then backed off as soon as
the media went viral over the notion that a worldwide cadre of demon hunters
fighting a pea soup epidemic might not be the best image makeover for the
Vatican. Mikael Hafstrom’s adaptation of The Rite: The Making of a Modern
Exorcist by Matt Baglio suggests
that the Church didn’t completely put the kabosh on the plan to recruit and
develop the exorcist black ops; they just pared down a bit.
In this film, Michael Kovak
(Colin O’Donoghue) attends the seminary to escape life with his creepy mortician
father (Rutger Hauer) but reaches graduation with a heart full of doubts about
faith and God.
The head of the seminary, Father Matthew (Toby Jones) sends
Michael to Rome to study exorcism, sensing that his skepticism will make him a
prime candidate to join the elite team. Upon arriving at Vatican City, Michael
meets up with a journalist (Alice Braga) covering the exorcist training and
gets the chance to work alongside Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), the
premier exorcist who, of course, happens to be an eccentric rogue.
 "Pin It")
Although The Rite is “inspired” by a true story, Hafstrom plays to
audience expectations, presenting all of the standard tropes of demonic
possession (dark veiny skin, impossible contortionist positions, gravelly
voiced psychic pronouncements), but the anticlimactic finale speaks not only to
Michael’s initial doubts but also those of the audience.
Evil exists, but after all
this time wouldn’t it have a few more tricks up its sleeve? Grade: D-plus
Opens Jan. 28. Check out theaters and show times, see the trailer and get theater details here.
