Possessed

The best laugh I've had for ages. This film borders so close on parody, I suspect unintentionally, but it is risible.

I have been watching horror films lately, which is a bit of a switch for me. I remember seeing the Exorcist films and even watched the second one again recently, wanting more of the inner life and workings of the priest, Father Merrin. This film far exceeds any I have seen dealing with this subject matter before (Emily Rose being a close second).

You have the usual Hollywood stuff thrown in, but what really gave this film such a high mark for me was the great masculine, spiritually focused portrayal by the main priest as played by Timothy Dalton. His characters friendship with the other priest and his inner life is exactly what I longed for in similar films dealing with exorcism but NEVER found. This is not a perfect film and Dalton does say one famous Betty Davis line that takes you right out of the film (I laughed) but its entertaining and I think riveting. More time could have been spent with the overwrought parents, especially the dad who seemed more possessed than the kid at times, and they didn't spend months working on the child as I think it took in real life, but all in all a good faith effort. Yes, a testimony in part of the fact that Jesus has Won and Wins and that saving souls is still important even in modern times. Rent the DVD and watch the extra (a real life interview with one of the priests involved in the exorcism).

The biggest problem with this movie is the kid. Ginger hair and freckles? Possessed by the Devil. Its not scary, its hilarious. The kid does a decent job, but he is horribly miscast. Timothy Dalton redeems things a bit with a convincing performance, which must have been almost impossible given the obvious handicap.

As a story it almost succeeds. As a scary movie it sucks.

A fictionalized version of the possession which was also the basis of THE EXORCIST, this film remains closer to the actual case than does the other. POSSESSED gives us a good cast approaching the topic rationally and with great dignity. The film begins without much of the traditional horror atmosphere, and that lends to the realism. Once the sense of reality has been created, there are some elements of the typical horror film, but they are well executed.

Set against the real horrors of the atomic age, the Cold War, and McCarthyism in the 1950s, the film is as powerful as THE EXORCIST but without using some of the FX. There are some genuine chills, and the story is well told, making the film well worth watching.

Considering this was based on a true story that took place in the 1940's you would think 60 yrs later they could do a better job!

The main character is very badly cast even taking into account the boys age he is just not adequate for the role. Timothy Dalton as the priest is probably the films saving grace but even he can't carry a badly thought out cast and story.

The Excorcist will always be and remain the most scary and well produced and cast Horror in my eyes, that aside this movie offers nothing and some scenes I actually found comedic which is not what you expect in a horror not helped by the music score during some of the scenes either.