THE EXORCIST: Believer

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director David Gordon Green, Blumhouse and Universal Pictures is preparing for Halloween with THE EXORCIST: Believer.

Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.) and pregnant wife Sorenne (Tracey Graves) are visiting Haiti and spending time photographing the sites. Sorenne meets a group of women that bless her but not before an earthquake hits and sending everyone reeling.

Years have passed and Victor is raising daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) as a single father. They have a special relationship but Angela wants to know about her mother. Off to school, she meets up with friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) who are making plans after school. Fibbing to their parents about where they really are, the girls find a spot in the forest and try to reach Angela’s mother spiritually.

When Victor gets home, Angela is not anywhere to be found. He reaches out to Katherine’s parents mom Miranda (Jennifer Nettles) and Tony (Norbet Leo Butz). Everyone becomes frantic as law enforcement spread far and wide looking for the girls in the forest. Friend Stuart (Danny McCarthy) even calls in some spiritualists to seek out Angela with Dr. Beehibe (Okwui Okpokwasili) which sends Victor into a tizzy.

Days later, the girls are found and neighbor Ann (Ann Dowd) who works at the hospital as a nurse sees to Angela. The girls are in shock and when cleared by the police go home but they don’t stay there as something peculiar is happening to them. As things become progressively worse for the girls, Ann tells Victor that he needs to speak to the one person who might be able to help – Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).

Fifty years prior, her own daughter Regan became possessed and Victor feels as if there is something she can do to help. The girls have become dangerous and Victor decides that it is time to take matters into his own hands. Bringing together Katherine’s parents, Dr. Beehibe, Stuart, Pastor Revans (Raphael Sbarge) and Father Maddox from the Catholic church under one roof, it is time to call out the evil!

Odom Jr. as Victor is a father who is still mourning his wife while trying to raise an awesome daughter. When things start to become strange, he has decisions to make and the evil knows how to use his emotions against him. Odom Jr. is fine in the role but there isn’t anything extraordinary about it. He is on the ball playing Victor and there is that.

Jewett as Angela is a young girl who just wants to know more about her mother. In doing so, the spiritual door is open and chaos happens to all. Jewett gets a chance to go from sweet to evil kid and it works. Marcum as Katherine does not get as much screen time as Angela but when she does, it is all about ‘the body and the blood’ because if I had been in church, I think I’d have run out the door!

Dowd as Ann the nurse and picky next-door neighbor is the person who knows that Victor needs the advice of Chris MacNeil. I have been a long-time follower of Dowd’s career because she has the same amazing ability as Burstyn to play such diverse roles from the empathetic to the out-and-out twisted. An example of it is her complexity in character can be seen in the 2017 series THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Dowd played the role of Aunt Lydia Clements and absolutely dominated that character and, of course, we loved to hate her!

Nettles as Miranda is a mother who is going to do whatever it takes to help her daughter, even if it goes against her husband and their church. Watching her agree with Victor, to me, was the high point of her role. Butz as Tony is a man who just can’t deal with everything that is happening because it is far beyond his comprehension. Butz’s character wants to go along to get along but, in the end, he makes decisions based solely on fear.

McCarthy as Stuart is a supportive friend and is not about to let Victor go through this alone. Sbarge as Pastor Revans sort of believes what is happening but until he sees it for himself, it is then when he realizes his faith has to be enough to help. Okpokwasili as Dr. Beehibe brings her belief system as well and helps set up the battle that is to come.

Shout out to Ellen Burstyn because I have always admired her. To come back is amazing and I was all in. That being said, I did not like the way her character was basically used to hold up the story the film was trying to tell. Her original 1973 role was so stunning on the screen and I’m holding on to that!

Other cast include Antoni Corone as Father Phillips, Chandu Kanuri as Daniel, Norah Murphy as Hannah, Linda Boston as Principle and Richard Carr III as the Doctor.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

Blumhouse Productions is known for producing horror films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, INSIDIOUS, SINISTER, THE PURGE, THE GIFT, GET OUT, HAPPY DEATH DAY and SPLIT. The films from Blumhouse have become instant classics and they continue to give us something to scream about! See more at www.blumhouse.com

Okay, I’m sure this isn’t going to go over well but, quite honestly, I was not impressed by the film from beginning to end. There was basically no reason for any of it – it’s a possession and there is nothing new, original or scary anymore about that storyline. Using two girls in the film didn’t make anything about it better.

Starting out in Haiti reminded me of the 1977 EXORCIST II: The Heretic and the storyline of the boy Kokumo in Africa and the demon Pazuzu. Then. bringing in Chris MacNeil to do what? Without giving anything away, my reaction is ‘really?’ You can’t have one outstanding solid rock to hold up a sand house. Now, an updated Chris MacNeil story made more sense to me and would have totally been an AMAZING film potentially that I would love to have seen! Can you imagine it? I can!

The problem with possession films is that there is nothing new – it’s possession, an evil unnamed demon and casting out – done. The 1973 William Friedkin THE EXORCIST film set a high standard for frightening audiences that is unmatched in story and horror on a whole other level that has not been repeatable in the last 50 years.  But hey, don’t let me stop you!

In the end – the evil is back!

 

 

 

 

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres and HBO Max from director Alan Taylor and Warner Bros. is the story of life, death and betrayal when surrounded by THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK.

It is the later 1960’s and Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) is keeping the family business going with numbers running and the help of Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.). Taking care of his own family, he also has an affinity for his nephew Anthony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini), especially when his father Johnny Soprano (Jon Bernthal) is sentenced do a stint in prison.

Also arriving home is Dickie’s father Hollywood Dick (Ray Liotta) and his new wife Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi). As the family business moves along with Junior Soprano (Corey Stoll), everything seems to be moving along, that is until the Newark riots happen, and Harold decides it is time to take his own family business in another direction.

Anthony, in the meantime, is already showing signs of falling into bad habits with gambling and getting into trouble. His mother Livia (Vera Farmiga) turns to Dickie to help get the kid straight being the only person the kid will listen to. But as Anthony grows older, he starts to understand more and more what the family business is and how deadly it can be.

Dickie uses the riots to his advantage when an incident happens with his father and also retaliates for Harold trying to muscle into the family business territory. Now a war is brewing, and Dickie is being pulled in every direction. Turning to his Uncle Salvatore (Ray Liotta) for guidance, the one piece of advice he is given is to leave nephew Anthony alone.

All of this is enough to keep anyone occupied because boiling underneath the surface is revenge, plotting and deception, then again, that’s the family business.

Nivola as Dickie carries this film from start to finish. He is basically a crazy man going from home life to business, family issues, betrayal, and trying to be a good uncle at the same time. He is a jack-of-all-trades in his life and can not seem to master any of them. It all may look good on the surface, but it is an underlying hot mess. Nivola’s character runs hot and cold when his button is pushed and trust that that button – does not lead to a nice conclusion.

Gandolfini as a teen Anthony Soprano does his father’s legacy justice. It is clear that there is a connection between Anthony and Uncle Dickie, a closeness even his father does not have. So, when that relationship is strained, it has an impact on the young teen who is trying to discover where it is he truly wants to go in life. Gandolfini has done his father James Gandolfini proud in taking up the mantle of his own family legacy, well done young man.

Liotta as both Hollywood Dickie and twin brother Salvatore has the chance to play both the good and bad of twin brothers. Dickie turns to Sally for advice and a chance to redeem himself for the wrongs he knows he is doing and has done. I saw Sally as a Sage for Dickie, offering him advice and wisdom that Dickie never got from his own father. Liotta is marvelous in both roles, and I loved every moment he was on screen.

Odom Jr. as Harold is a buddy of Dickie’s so working together is fine, until he realizes that there is more money to be made and that Dickie’s business family see him as nothing more than the lowest of the low. Breaking away is a dangerous move but Odom Jr. takes his character and rolls him in the world that is brutal and unforgiving. Stoll as Junior seems to be the gopher of the family always beings shot down and told what to do. He takes it until he can not take it anymore and lets leave it at that.

Michela De Rossi as Guiseppina is a woman who believed that coming to America has so many possibilities. Trying to break the mold of a kept woman is difficult and she fights every step of the way. Farmiga as Livia is a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown with her kids and a husband who does not appreciate her. Trying to keep her sanity involves Anthony trying to help with medication. She is also a fighter but it seems its always for the right thing in the wrong way.

Other cast include: Joey Diaz as Buddha, Samson Moeakiola as Pussy Bonpensiero, Germar Gardner as Cyril, Alexandra Intrator as Janice Soprano, Lesli Margherita as Iris Balducci, Talia Balsam as Mrs. Jarecki, Kathryn Kates as Angie DeCarlo, William Ludwig as young Tony Soprano, Billy Magnussen as Paulie Walnuts, Nick Vallelonga as Carmine Cotuso, John Magaro as Silvio Dante, Ed Marinaro as Jilly Ruffalo, Lauren DiMario as Carmela De Angelis, Oberon Adjepong as Fran Lucas and Chase Vacnin as Jackie Aprile.

Warner Brothers is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainments with worldwide distribution to DVD and Bluray, animation, comic books, videogames and broadcasting. For more please visit www.warnerbros.com.

HBO Home Entertainment brings critically acclaimed and groundbreaking programming throughout the world. Releases include the global hit Game of Thrones, True Detective, Girls, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Entourage. The company's catalog contains hundreds of titles including Big Little Lies and Band of Brothers. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.hbo.com.

A little fun factoid is that the film is called 'The Many Saints of Newark' because it revolves around Dickie Moltisanti, Christopher Moltisanti's father. In English, Molti Santi translates as 'many saints'.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK is a story with so many layers trying to tell a prequel story. The characters are introduced and send about to create havoc but mainly centers around Dickie with a young Tony Soprano on the side. The film has everything you would expect with family issues, prison, revenge, twists and friendships based on nothing more than money and what you can do with it.

I have to again say that I am a huge fan of period pieces and this film dives right in from the costuming to the cars to the look and feel of the city. All of that is important to drawing someone into the world of a family who would go on to bring one of the most talk about shows on television THE SOPRANOS.

That being said, everything moves very fast giving me little time to delve into the stories and understanding each of the characters. I am not sure if that is because I only know a scant bit about the original show having only seen it a few times. So, I am going to have to binge watch the entire series and perhaps my perspective of fast paced and fragmented will change. I will keep you updated!

In the end – it’s a Soprano’s story!