Requiem [2006]

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Customer reviews

review by: Chinhealer date: 2008-09-24 rating:
Not a patch on Emily Rose!!
In practically every department, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a far superior film to Requiem, both efforts being based on the same, supposedly real-life events. Jennifer Carpenter's performance is far more haunted, affecting, astonishing, gruelling than that of Sandra Huller. The supporting actors in Emily Rose include quality veterans like Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson who play incredibly sympathetic characters. There are no such heavyweights in Requiem and the supporting characters are mere cardboard cutouts in comparison. The look of Emily Rose and its atmosphere are wonderfully chilling. The look of Requiem is austere, urban and Germanic. Its atmosphere, leaden. The screenplay of Emily Rose is breathless, captivating, intelligent and its denouement is startling, moral, utterly, spiritually satisfying. The screenplahy of Requiem is jerky, uninvolving, mundane and its denouement is a bit of a wet fish. I cannot fathom why so many critics were so sniffy about the unforgettable Emily Rose while praising the vastly less nuanced and largely unmemorable Requiem.

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review by: Arkady de-Lioncourte date: 2007-12-28 rating:
Moving. Tragic. Powerful. poor poor Annelise Michel.
If customers are purchasing this as a typical film of horror genre, to view on a late Friday or Saturday night over takeaways and beer, then you do not deserve to view this extremelly moving film.

At last a movie that takes possession seriously. A sensitive subject for all.

What makes this movie triumph over ALL other possession films is it is not sensationlised, trivialised in any manner what so ever, unlike if Hollywood were aloud the copyright . No special make up effects and NO dramatic music score.

Personally, I felt The Exorcism of Emily Rose was a very good film and Tom Wilkinson played the part of the priest exceptionally well.

What we have here, is two parts to true events. Requiem, part 1, and Exorcism of Emily Rose, Part 2.

Requiem is a powerful and very emotional film of a young girl who is brought up in a religous home environment and then moves on to unversity where she finds day-to-day life a learning process as well as undertaking her studies.

Im not going on to write a novel on this film, but once the film is over your heart goes out to the poor Annelise Michel, the real individual in question, Michaela in the film, and the suffering she endured.

Any viewer, after watching Requiem, will question whether Annelise Michel was infact possessed or suffered mental health problems.

What I question, is why does the Vatican believe in certain numerous miracles, but DENY possession ??? The Vatican agreed for two priests to undertake the possession, but when found guilty, they denounced them ???

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review by: date: 2007-08-16 rating:
Dangerous religion
Michaela grows up sheltered witin an ultra-religious sect. The hostile puritanism of her mother and guilt reaction to her father's love have provoked fits, presumably hysterical although treated as epileptic. She feels rejected by God. Tensions are increased by the contrasting hedonistic life as a university student and she becomes increasingly disturbed. Neither family, priest, girl-friend nor boy-friend can save her and she rejects hospital treatment. Finally a young priest is allowed to try exorcism. After one rather horrifying session we are abruptly informed that she dies of exhaustion after more than 20 exorcisms.

The director tells us that his story is based on a real case which obsessed him for 10 years until he made a film of it. The bizarre story manages to retain our interest and credulity throughout which is a considerable achievement.

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review by: Curiousblue date: 2007-07-06 rating:
Gripping, intelligent and distinctive
Don't watch this film if you are hoping to see a film of the exorcism/thriller genre.
This is an intelligent and superbly acted portrayal of a young woman experiencing a violent illness while desperately struggling against the interventions of the moralising religious community (especially her mother) with which she grew up. Her religion may be a Christian one, but the issues raised are not peculiar to Christianity. The protagonist's relation to her religion/family is ambivalent throughout and the film successfully avoids polarising issues simply in terms of rationalism vs religious indoctrination.
Ultimately this film is a sensitive psychological portrait of a deeply disturbed young woman, and on those terms alone I would rate it as one of the most successful films of 2006.


review by: date: 2007-04-29 rating:
Intelligent, rational, tragic
I found this to be a superbly well acted and overall very moving film.

It really brings a welcome dose of rationalism to the possession/demon genre and is miles ahead of its Hollywood counterpart, the Exorcism of Emily Rose. Where that film was interested in providing you with a sensationalist and totally embellished "true event", Requiem is the stuff of intelligent analysis and credibility.

Not only that, it provides for a far more palpable sense of tragedy as you come to empathise with what must have been an horrific experience for the deeply disturbed Michaela.

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Similar categories

Video . DVD & VHS . Categories . Horror
Video . DVD & VHS . Substores . Regular Stores . DVD Bargains . By Price . From £4.97 . DVDs from £4.97
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . DVD
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . BBFC Rating (intended_use_browse-bin) . 12
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Editions (feature_two_browse-bin) . Standard Edition
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Region(feature_browse-bin) . Region 2
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Release Date (feature_three_browse-bin) . 2000 and later
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Language (theme_browse-bin) . German

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