Plot: What’s it about?
When it comes to films about exorcism or possession, there’s one that has (and most likely will) stand above the rest. Say it with me…The Exorcist. There, end of story. Ok, not really. But every few years it seems we’ve got another one of this specific genre and I want to be scared or weirded out. But I never am. Unless the star is puking green vomit saying “your mother will rot in Hell” it’s just not the same. But they keep trying. Yes they do. And now we’ve got The Pope’s Exorcist, another “exorcism” film but it ups the ante with the talent of Oscar winner Russell Crowe. But doe we need another exorcism movie or is this one different? To me, you’ve seen one – you’ve seen them all. Nevertheless, the movie was made so let’s give it a fair shake.
Piggybacking on my earlier sentence, all of the classic tropes exist in this film. We’ve got the high-ranking (but very unorthodox) priest, Father Gabriel Amorth (Russell Crowe) is the Italian priest who presides over demon-extraction affairs. He challenges the authority of the church and serves as an advocate for eradicating evil. It just so happens that a family, from the United States, moves to Spain to fix up an old abbey that was passed down to them. Faster than you can say the rosary, the mute son, Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) falls victim to the “influences” of Satan and wreaks havoc on the family. As we might expect, Father Amorth is called in to solve the problem.
There’s some potential for a really good film here, unfortunately that potential goes to waste as this seems to possess more comedic elements than dramatic. That might have been a good approach, actually, a “buddy” exorcism movie? Someday. There’s no denying Crowe’s talent and while he might not be the critical or commercial draw he was at the turn of the century, he’s still got it. But I will say that his stereotypical “Italian” accent borders on offensive. We’ll leave it at that. Directed by Julius Avery who gave us Overlord, does what he can with this one. And if you’re a fan of the aforementioned title, there are more than a few elements from that at play here. If you’re really in the mood for an exorcism movie, there are plenty to choose from. Choosing this one might not be the best decision, but it’s not the worst either.
Video: How’s it look?
By and large, films about death, exorcism or possession aren’t exactly going to light up the color spectrum. And this one is no different. There are truly beautiful shots in the film, though those take a backseat to the overall look, feel and tone of the film. The 2.39:1 AVC HD image has no trouble with the color scheme, though. Black levels are strong as is contrast and the detail level really gives us a look at at all the visual elements that comprise the movie.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I’m guessing there’s no definitive way to describe the sound of the Devil as a possession/exorcism happens. If there is, I’d hate to meet the person who could validate it. What could have been a run-of-the-mill DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack has found some new life (pardon the pun) as the speakers offer a wide variety of sounds that do their best to amp things up. Vocals are, as expected, pure and crisp as Crowe’s deep (and fake Italian) accent do take center stage. Surrounds aren’t left out in the cold, either – they do a great job of providing a natural-sounding stage that heightens the mood. Overall, it’s a much better mix than I was expecting.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Introducing Father Amorth – I don’t think I’ve ever seen an “exorcism” movie that wasn’t based on a real person and, true to form, we get a look at the real Father Amorth and how he’s portrayed in this film.
- What Possessed You? – Crowe, Director Julius Avery and producer Jeff Katz discuss the film, bringing another “exorcism” movie to the screen and how to differentiate it from others in the genre.
The Bottom Line
Faith-based films, for me, just aren’t really my thing. I lack it (faith, that is) so maybe I look at these films with a strike or two already against them. Nevertheless, I’m most likely in the minority and there’s clearly a demand for movies like this. Russell Crowe is a fantastic actor and he does some pretty good work here, but it wasn’t anything that stood out as “amazing” for me. Sony’s disc looks and sounds great, though the extras are a bit scant.
