The Rite

New Line Cinema | Release Date: January 28, 2011

5.5	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 134 Ratings

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grandpajoe6191Oct 1, 2011

What I don't get from "The Rite" is (except the usual outstanding performance by Anthony Hopkins) that its a 114 minute christian advertisement that the devil sucks and Jesus will save your ass. Unfortunately, he didn't save mine.

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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StankimusMar 22, 2011

Although the exorcism sub-genre has been nearly worn to a frazzle, it is always refreshing when the film industry develops an original idea rather than churning out sequels and remakes. The Rite is sufficiently original in this regard; thoughAlthough the exorcism sub-genre has been nearly worn to a frazzle, it is always refreshing when the film industry develops an original idea rather than churning out sequels and remakes. The Rite is sufficiently original in this regard; though overly reliant on cliches, stereotypes and the usual faith-versus-evil boilerplate, the film manages to keep you engaged mostly through the sheer talent of Sir Anthony Hopkins.

At its core The Rite is the story of a young man tortured by uncertainty and indecision, walking the line between faith and skepticism. He is the archetypal faith-questioning falling-from-grace antihero we have seen waltzing through any number of religious dramas; yet for a character of such supposed moral complexity, our young seminarian is disappointingly static. This poor development is illuminated in contrast by the talent and experience of Hopkins. His portrayal of the unorthodox and tortured mentor simply dominates. In fact, once the movie reaches its pedestrian climax, you may find yourself wondering why the hero and the equally forgettable love interest/damsel are even in the room. Hopkins probably could have turned a more enthralling scene via monologue with his inner demons.

Even so, The Rite is watchable. There are some things it does right: the veiled debate between supernatural and psychology that subsists throughout, for instance, is handled delicately and subtly enough as to enrich rather than distract. This possession-versus-mental-illness dynamic establishes a palpable sense of dread and unhinged suspense (despite some cheap jump scares and one unfortunate cat scare). Rather than preach or spoon-feed emotion and sentiment, the film leaves most of the judgments and evaluations for the viewer (that is, until the resolution wraps everything into a nice neat package). And, despite prominently featuring the Catholic faith, the church is neither endorsed nor denigrated but rather skillfully employed as a neutral backdrop to establish setting and tone.

Classic cinema it is not, but overall, The Rite is a decent supernatural horror drama that won't leave you feeling like you've wasted two hours. Hopkins turns a solid but not brilliant performance, and you may be left scratching your head as to how he became attached to this project.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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ShiiraFeb 6, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Father Lucas(Anthony Hopkins) is not one of those diva Roman Catholic priests who shows up only when the devil gets ready to take complete possession of its victim's soul. This church servant, differing from his American counterparts, makes house calls on lesser cases, routine visits to his afflicted parishioners, just like a French doctor in Michael Moore's "Sicko". He's no Father Merrin(Max Von Sydow), a priest with a thing for dramatic lighting. His exorcism skills, as it turns out, are subpar. It's time for him to retire; he's too old to be the hero. Frankly put, the members of his flock are in trouble, because this man of the cloth is just not that powerful. To its credit, "The Rite" deviates somewhat from the oft-used template of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist", just enough to make things mildly interesting. Although "The Rite" employs the all-too-familiar trope of the demon possessed victim being a young woman, she's not the central figure of the story, since her supernatural ordeal with nefarious forces is not an isolated case. The film treats demonic possession as if it was a common malady, like the flu. Father Lucas has the aura of a country doctor, which is to say, he doesn't inspire awe. In addition to the pregnant girl that Lucas treats at his cat-infested abode, there's the battered boy covered with horse tracks he learns about from his extra-curricular rounds. Unlike past "Exorcist" knockoffs such as "The Haunting of Emily Rose" and "The Last Exorcism", the curing of the bedeviled young woman is not the primary objective of the film. In fact, the Italian girl doesn't get cured at all; she dies, in a surprising move, bringing to mind Alfred **** "Psycho", because her death thwarts audience expectations. The moviegoer expects Rosaria(Marta Gastini) to be there for the climax. But like Janet Leigh in that Bates Motel shower, the impregnated teenager meets a violent untimely end. Her swelled belly then becomes a red herring. Since the girl never named a father, the film teases you with the notion that Satan sired that baby. At the hospital, we're half-expecting her to give birth. But when the demon kills them both, we realize that the girl was an ancillary character all along. A "Rosemary's Baby" situation is averted. She was knocked up the old-fashioned way: the devil wouldn't kill his own spawn. Father Lucas fails her. More often than not, the priest can be counted on to save the day, but here, the servant fails; it's the man of god who needs saving. In "The Rite", it takes an atheist to do a clergyman's job. Michael Kovak(Colin O'Donoghue), the heretic from the states, needs a lot of convincing, maybe too much convincing(how many frogs will it take to convince you Mike?), before he finally acknowledges that the devil exists. "The Exorcist" exists, too. Father Lucas makes reference to "spinning heads and pea soup" when the fraudulent seminary school graduate appears unimpressed after witnessing his first exorcism. Foregoing the shock tactics of the 1973 chiller, "The Rite" presents itself as a respectable take on demonic possession. The film is notable for its lack of gore...and scares. Although Rosaria coughs up blood and nails, what "The Rite" needs is for the girl to regurgitate the blood and nails in the priest's face. By not embracing its exploitation movie roots, the girl might as well have psychological problems, because a tempered flick about the devil, as "The Rite" proves time and time again, can make for a pretty dull experience. Where's the blasphemy?… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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Edward9630Jul 24, 2011

The Rite Is An Alright Film. Being That It Was Based On True Events I Was Shocked At What I Saw And Shows Us That Some Atheist's Belief In Exorcism Might Change When They Learn This Story. Anthony Hopkins Perfomance In This Movie WasThe Rite Is An Alright Film. Being That It Was Based On True Events I Was Shocked At What I Saw And Shows Us That Some Atheist's Belief In Exorcism Might Change When They Learn This Story. Anthony Hopkins Perfomance In This Movie Was Excellent. The Big Problem With This Film Is It Isnt Scary At All. Scenes That Try To Scare You Really Dont Scare You At All. Comparing This To The Exorcist Movie. That Movie Is More Better Then This. I Would Give This Film A Very Low Matinee… Expand

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god-amaterasuJul 22, 2012

Anthony Hopkins is not enough to save a movie that imitates (poorly) The Exorcist. Trivial, obvious, predictable: watch a movie for a couple of scenes is not a good idea.