Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 10, 2010
The Critic's Corner
David Laprad
Preacher Cotton Marcus has reached the end of his rope. For years, he’s been performing exorcisms for anyone who will shell over enough cash to make it worth his time. Wielding a cross and the Word of God, he marches in, tells the demon to leave “in the name of Jesus,” collects his pay and moves on. But there’s a problem: he’s lost his faith.
Marcus no longer believes in demons, God, or the Bible, but he keeps casting out devils anyway because, hey, it’s a living. Using hidden audio equipment and crude effects, he puts on a horse and pony show for believers, who are happy to fork over their dough in exchange for peace of mind. “I’m giving them something they need,” he reasons.
When Marcus reads a report about a boy dying during an exorcism, he becomes angry. This, combined with news that the Vatican is opening an academy for exorcists, convinces him an apocalypse of Biblical proportions will take place as priests fan out across the land, slaughtering the innocent. His solution: expose the entire “industry” as fraudulent by hiring a camera crew to document his final job.
So, Marcus picks a random letter out of a pile of correspondence, kisses his wife goodbye and heads down to rural Louisiana, where a reclusive widower is convinced Satan has set up residence in his teenage daughter.
Like “Paranormal Activity,” “The Last Exorcism” uses the faux documentary approach to tell its story, with the entire movie consisting of footage the cameraman shot. Director Daniel Stamm uses the format effectively, showing audiences what’s taking place without inducing nausea.
Unfortunately, Stamm doesn’t produce any scares, either, which surprised me. I admire his restraint in resisting the temptation to use false jumps, such as a screeching cat suddenly appearing onscreen, but at the same time, I kept waiting for jolts that never came. There were moments that seemed ripe for one, but Stamm would pull back.
Thankfully, “The Last Exorcism” makes up the difference with a smart script and good performances.
At the heart of the story is the question of whether Nell, the daughter, is demon possessed or mentally disturbed. When Marcus and his crew meet her, she’s a shy, but ostensibly happy, country girl. Marcus learns her mother died of cancer, and that Nell doesn’t remember her rants when she comes out of them. In addition, Nell’s father, Louis, is a devout Christian who home schools his children to keep them from falling under the sway of the world. All of this subtly, and cleverly, suggests Nell might be subconsciously expressing pain over the loss of her mother.
Thematically, “The Last Exorcism” deals with the tension between two immovable forces: religious fundamentalism and atheism. After Marcus performs a fake exorcism on Nell and declares her clean, the girl has another attack. At that point, Marcus urges Louis to take Nell to a doctor, but the father refuses. Over time, it becomes clear these men will pay a terrible price for their stubbornness.
The actress who plays Nell, newcomer Ashley Bell, is convincing throughout the movie, whether she’s being sweet or psychotic. Bell strikes the perfect note in each scene, never falling short or going too far. In one memorable sequence, she goes above and beyond the call of duty by contorting her body to suggest Nell is at war with an inner force. The shot of Nell in boots and a nightgown, bent over at an impossible angle, is unforgettable.
Also good is Patrick Fabian as Marcus. His transformation from cocky unbeliever to a man who questions his own doubts makes for compelling viewing. I especially liked his moment of uncertainty during his second exorcism, when he has to decide whether or not he believes what his eyes are telling him, and his hesitant stammering through the ritual that follows. Stamm directs the scene masterfully, having Marcus keep his distance from Nell rather than standing over her, as he did during his first exorcism.
Fabian does take his charismatic preacher shtick a bit too far, crying out “Do you love the Lawwwwwwd?” while preaching to excited churchgoers in his hometown, but other than that, his performance is spot on.
My only real disappointment with “The Last Exorcism” is the ending. While the movie was headed in that direction the entire time, that doesn’t excuse the film’s last five minutes being goofy and off-the-wall. The same ending has been done better in other movies, and could have been done better here.
If you’re looking for scares, “The Last Exorcism” will let you down. But it’s a shrewd little film with two exceptional performances and some interesting things to say about the nature of faith. While hardly a must-see in theaters, it should play well on DVD.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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