Kumekucha Movie Review: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Do demons exist? Can they be cast out of a person? Your answers to those two questions will have an impact on what you will feel at the end of this movie because if you are not sure you are going to be pretty frightened and apprehensive and maybe you won’t sleep too well again. Especially when it strikes 3 am (it is believed that this is the hour of maximum demonic activity in the spiritual realm).
I have some pretty extensive experience in this area (that is a story for another day) and I can tell you without fear or shame that the answer to both questions is the affirmative. I need to add that the depiction I saw here is very convincing. To be totally honest I am yet to see something as convincing as this and believe me, I have watched many movies since my days as a movie critic in the local press.

This is a true story based on the extra-ordinary experiences of one Anneliese Michel, a religiously nurtured young girl whose life suddenly changes on a day in 1968 when she begins shaking and finds that she is unable to control her own body. A neurologist diagnoses her with "Grand Mal" epilepsy. But clearly this is not a medical problem because soon after the attacks begin, Anneliese starts seeing devilish grimaces during her daily praying.

The film is based on the story of Anneliese and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic defense lawyer representing a parish priest who is accused by the state of negligent homicide after he attempted an exorcism on Anneliese.

Sleek directing and compelling performances carry this movie very well and I will have no hesitation in recommending it.

However the problem I have is that it leaves one very important question unanswered. Demonic attack is never without reason and the first thing in any successful exorcism is finding the reason which will quickly lead you to the point of entry which needs to be sealed to avoid the subject sliding back. This is what seems to have never been resolved or even investigated in the real life story of Emily Rose.

Watch the trailer HERE

Box Office performance and other bits of info about the movie:

- Towards the end of 2008, The Exorcism of Emily Rose had grossed $140,238,064 worldwide.

- In 2006, the Chicago Film Critics Association listed the film in their Top 100 Scariest Films Ever Made at number 86.

- Lead actress Jennifer Carpenter, whose "demonic" bodily contortions were mostly achieved without the aid of visual effects, won "Best Frightened Performance" at the MTV Movie Awards in 2006.Safaricom’s hidden source of HUGE profits that business journalists missed

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Kilonzo: We will deal with Tobiko Soon

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo has cut out a niche for himself as one of the leading reformists in the country. For those who know the dark past of Mr Kilonzo that is quite something (more on his past later in this post).

And so true to recent form, Mutula revealed last night that he has a few legal ideas on how he is going to deal with the “Tobiko problem” created by parliament when they chose to disregard recommendations and approve Tobiko’s appointment without investigating the claims of corruption and unfitting conduct from his past made against him by the public.

Justice Minister Mutula "Reforms" Kilonzo: Promised to deal with Tobiko

Now that is one motion of intent which must be going down very well with a vast majority of Kenyans many of whom could not hide their displeasure when Tobiko was sworn in alongside the more popularly approved appointments of the chief justice and his deputy a few hours ago. One onlooker commented in the hearing of this blogger that if Tobiko was as upright as his defenders claimed he was, he would have refused to take up his appointment and steeped aside. “I am sure Willy Mutunga and Nancy Baraza would have done exactly that (i.e. step aside) were they in Tobiko’s shoes.”

I have been thinking hard about what that ordinary Kenyan said and the more I think about it the more sense what they said makes. Accepting to be sworn into office and smiling several times for the cameras (as if to mock those against his appointment) is the face of impunity itself and a clear indication of the kind of character we are dealing with here in our new DPP tupende tusipende.

In fact it is interesting how such a seemingly intelligent man cannot see the serious harm he is doing to himself by taking up office with such baggage hanging around his neck. How will he serve the very public that he seemed to be mocking at the swearing in ceremony?

Anyway back to our very reform-minded minister of Justice. Mutula made the revelations about his intentions towards Tobiko on national TV in the Julie Gichuru hosted Sunday live news on Citizen TV. However he quickly added that he will pursue his legal ideas at an unspecified future date because his immediate priority is to speed up the implementation of the new constitution. More music in the ears of ordinary long suffering Kenyans.

But Mutula Kilonzo has not always been at the fore-front of reforms. In an earlier life he was known as former President Daniel arap Moi’s lawyer and close confidant. The lawyer used this position to greatly enrich himself literally overnight.

Every story has two sides. This is Mutula Kilonzo’s version of his past life. But luckily you can also get the no holds barred investigated report that includes his dark secrets and especially what MPs were talking about when shouting down Mutula in parliament last week during the Tobiko debate.

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