THE DEVIL has plotted many schemes for our corruption, but, as far as I'm aware, the Book of Revelations contains no suggestion that he might try and bore us into submission. The publicity material for The Ritepromises a festival of lowbrow shocks and sub-ecclesiastical kitsch. Just look at Anthony Hopkins's scary eyes staring from the poster. "You can only defeat it if you believe" the tagline bellows. Sit back and anticipate the trash attack.
As it happens, Mikael Håfström’s film has ideas above its station. It’s too studied. It’s too tasteful. In short, it’s not quite bad enough to be any fun.
Based on a true story (yeah, right), the film details the education of a young priest (Colin O'Donoghue who, like the clerical hero of The Exorcist,allows guilt about his neglect of a recently deceased parent to interfere with his already shaky faith. His superior recommends secondment to an exorcism school in Rome where, under the tutelage of a coasting Ciarán Hinds, he works hard at memorising his mumbo-jumbo.
Eventually, he is sent to help out an older, improbably Welsh priest with a busy practice in demon removal. Following a few supernatural outrages, his doubts are assuaged.
O’Donoghue, a handsome Co Louth chap, making his film debut, does as much as he can with the underwritten lead role. But the picture would be nothing without Sir Anthony. The great man, who has been a bit chewy of late, is unnecessarily good here.
The full range of Hopkinsisms is on display. He starts off doing that characteristic distracted thing – constantly squinting at something interesting between his shoes or puzzling at an invisible oddity over his co-star’s left shoulder. Later, we get the full-on, couch-munching, multi-accented, spittle-flecked Hopkins lunatic.
The turn is so entertaining it almost makes up for the sluggish story and undernourished dialogue. This devil has none of the best tunes.
