The Rite Movie Review
The Rite Movie Review
The Rite movie review. The Rite is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Toby Jones, and Rutger Hauer.
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mild spoilers --
It should probably go without saying that pithy Sir Anthony Hopkins, as Father Lucas in The Rite, has the best lines of all. I mean, how can anyone not love listening to him wax philosophical on Faith itself? "Does a thief turn on the lights when he's robbing your house?" he asks a young, up-and-and-coming exorcist, "No. He prefers you to believe he is not there. Like the devil."
Hopkins is always a cinematic sensory wonder — he's got a gravitas that transcends any and all obstacles. Aside from Old Scratch himself, Hopkins has got to hop a few hurdles here in The Rite. In spite of some well-written lines, decent acting from the rest of the cast, and an intelligent director (Mikael Hofstrom, who comes off much better in interviews than he does onscreen), the film itself is by turns turgid and tedious. Bloated with exposition and exaggerated effects, by the time the climax comes you've lost all devotion. But...! Hopkins is excellent.
The story ("Based on actual events!") follows seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), a chiseled kid who looks like he'd be more comfortable on an Abercrombie & Fitch billboard than priestly robes. He inevitably teams up with an investigative reporter who's more Brenda Starr than Helen Thomas (played by the prettiest genre-groupie of late, Alice Braga) and away they go — into Satan's fertile playground. Yep: they come across a pregnant teen who's in need of a little exorcism. But alas, young, inexperienced Michael can't do it alone. He needs a mentor.
Enter Father Lucas and his big bag of bête noir bashing toys — these include a crucifix, holy water, a live frog, and a huge ego. Though he plays it humble, you can tell Father Lucas knows he's the shit and he delights in instructing his protégé in the wicked ways of the dastardly devil — "Choosing not to believe in the devil doesn't protect you from him." Uh-oh. Now what?
'Now what' is a lot of pontificating on crises of faith; weighing the likelihood that the possessed preggo is faking it, against the improbability that her womb is rented by imps; and dropping Alice Braga in and out of the story at will. Much like Hofstrom's last big American horror movie, 1408, there are some moments. But they are much-less cheeky (no scenery-snackin' Samuel L. Jackson, for one thing) and seem more studio-driven.
Hence, the whole affair feels rather heavy and contrived, especially when (shocker! It's in the trailer, anyway) Father Lucas gets besmirched by Beelzebub himself and is subject to Michael and reporter-girl's inept ministrations. How will the handsome novice and the sexy scribe beat the devil? What follows is some awesome acting by Sir Anthony, obscured (but not obliterated) by egregious overuse of CGI… When you have a face, voice and presence like Hopkins, that is all you need, pod-producers!
In spite of my writing in tongues above, I will confess the movie is not altogether terrible. In fact, it's a modestly entertaining thriller — it just needed to be either unintentionally hilarious (see: The Unborn) or presented in a more serious, straightforward manner (see: The Exorcism of Emily Rose [which, incidentally, has some of the same personnel]).
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
Be sure and check out Staci's on-camera interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins