The Rite (2011)

Michael Kovak comes from a family of undertakers and priests. He doesn't want to be an undertaker, so he joins the priesthood. After a four year free education, Michael decides he doesn't have faith and wants to opt out. He is informed if he doesn't become a priest, he will be billed for his education, about $100,000. He is then "convinced" to go to Rome to learn to become an exorcist, something he has even less faith about. In order to enhance Michael's faith, he is sent to see a priest who looks a lot like Hannibal Lecter. Father Lecter (Lucus) is performing his daily exorcism on a very pregnant 16 year old girl. She says things to Michael that only Michael would know, proof she is possessed by the Amazing Kreskin, or some demon. The girl snarls, rolls around on the floor, does a contortion act during the exorcist, which was ineffective in Latin, but worked better in English, God's native tongue. It soon becomes apparent that the devil is after Michael, but it is confusing as the theme is that the devil doesn't want us to believe he exists by going out of his way to convince us that he does. Father Lucus makes house calls as it appears possession is 9/10ths of Rome.Michael also meets a female reporter who he confides in about his doubt and experiences. A good movie for people who believe atheists can be converted to Roman Catholicism with the help of the devil.

I decided to watch this movie because I thought I could use a thrill & I chose (The Rite) particularly as I love Hopkins & I wanted to see him in a new area .. Hopkins didn't turn me down but the movie did.I actually liked the build up , defining Micheal (the main character) was good ,& that's what annoys me the characters & the side stories took more time & attention than the main event which came very short & not enough scary. what I mean is Rosaria's exorcism process took much longer than Lucas's & was better directed , but not more scary & I think that's because of Hopkins great performance .I was disappointed as the movie wasn't scary enough, a lot of motives just weren't clear & the End was kind of rushed and far from creative .

If you've chosen to watch "The Rite," I'm guessing it is because you are a fan of demonic activity and watching morticians at work. If you are not fond of these things or enjoy less than scary horror films, then I cannot stress strongly enough to stay away from "The Rite."My friends and I diligently searched Netflix for horror movies that weren't rated R. At the time, we had no idea that choosing "The Rite" would cause us such boredom that night. It took the longest time to give the background on the story. We found ourselves paying no attention to the movie, and only to our phones. The movie created a very awkward environment as it progressed; I knew that I wanted to start another, but I was too scared that I would let down my friends. When it finished, we all admitted that "The Rite" was definitely not something we'd want to watch again.Never did any of us scream in terror. At the "tense" scenes, I cringed with embarrassment. The movie was not scary, but it most certainly was disturbing. I found myself either bored to death or wanting to skip scenes that made me feel uncomfortable. The film answers the question, "What can the writers possibly do to make an interesting story dull and mundane?" We longed for an exciting ending, but it never came. Scenes began to meld together, and many random elements came into play. From the abounding amount of stray kittens to a possessed donkey, I became more confused. At the end, some things were explained, but many of my questioned remained unanswered. Multiple events occurred without a real reason, and the film could have been much shorter if the writers considered if what they were writing actually served a purpose. In closing, I would like to mention the lack of emotion. In the character's time of peril, I did not feel any real want for him to live. Throughout the movie, the protagonist was portrayed as cold and emotionless. Yes, he seemed fairly distressed in a few scenes, but it did not make me feel sorry for him- and I could tell that none of it was real sadness. In a disappointing movie, the characters were most likely the most disappointing thing about it.

The movie starts slow ... but picks pace ... it is a movie for those who don't believe in God ... to understand things from their perspective ... I loved the movie and how it dealt with questions that modern youth are bound to ask... it would have better if these questions are addressed in more detail .. but actions speak louder than words ... Some things aren't explained clearly ... particularly why the father had to get possessed ... however, the hero rose up to the occasion as always :). This movie reinstates the importance of God and how devil works in cunning ways, even today ... when most think it is a myth! However, am not sure why they had to kill the girl ... and why they were not able to exorcise her!