The Last Exorcism

Eli Roth. That's all it took for me to want to see this film. The Last Exorcism may not have gotten the same amount of attention without his name attached and that would have been a shame.
Daniel Stamm (A Necessary Death ) directs the screenplay by Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland (Mail Order Wife).
Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian - Big Love) is a second generation preacher from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since he was a kid he has been spreading the word of the Good Book to his faith-blind congregation. The problem is, Cotton has stopped believing in God. Instead of being a man and stepping down from his highly influential position, Cotton continues to preach and perform exorcisms on high paying customers.
He is a fraud, a charlatan, an arsehole who preys on the weak-minded and swindles them for cash. Worse yet, he discusses his tricks openly on camera without any sign of remorse.
Documentary film maker Iris (Iris Bahr - Fair Game) and camera man Daniel (Adam Grimes - Big Bad Wolf) tag alongside Cotton as he visits a family in the deep south who believe their sweet-as-molases teenager Nell (Ashley Bell - The Truth About Angels) is possessed by the Devil himself. As victims of any con-man would, the family misguidedly put their faith in this linen-suited preacher with the big smile.
Nell's father Louis (Louis Herthum - Inventing Adam) and brother Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones - X-Men: First Class) watch on as Cotton performs an 'exorcism' on young Nell in a room Cotton rigged beforehand.
Once his magic show is over, he declares the demon has left Nell, that she and her family will be OK.
Nell's behaviour would appear to prove otherwise.
The film is shot with a single camera in true 'mockumentary' style. This can be a little bit frustrating at times; my kingdom for a steady picture!
It's the simplicity of the film that I like the most. The performances appear to be off the cuff and not rehearsed which helps add to it's 'realism'. There are no big flashy Hollywood effects or A-list actors to detract from the story. Bell's performance as the tormented Nell is very good; I do hope she gets recognised in some way for that come award season.
Its mere eighty-seven minutes is a tad too short; an extra ten minutes or so would have been nice.
There aren't that many films on exorcisms so comparisons must be made to the likes of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose and William Blatty's iconic The Exorcist but this film has enough fresh new material to stand on it's own.
In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the Doctor says of Lady Macbeth 'More needs she the divine than the physician,' it's so sad to know that some people still think that way today.
Home schooling and a religious zealot for a parent do not a well-adjusted child make.
Things I learnt: no child should ever play the recorder; don't turn back; go to yoga classes.
Small budget wins again.
Eight out of ten.