Satanic squatting

"Based on a true story" is the spin The Exorcism Of Emily Rose offers on ye olde tale of Satanic squatting.

That and placing the main action in the courtroom.

As Laura Linney's rational lawyer struggles to defend Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), a devout priest accused of negligence - resulting in the death of 19-yearold parishioner Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) - it's more doubt versus faith than show-jumping beds and pea-soup vomit.

Which wouldn't make you feel cheated if the arguments were more canny or the characters more fleshy.

Was Emily epileptic? Or unholy? Who cares - we hardly get to know her.

Disturbing as her eye-rolling flashbacks are, this fails to replace the overblown fictions and fears of The Exorcist with anything more real.

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose
Cert: cert15