The Conjuring Almost Scares With The Best. . .Almost

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2013)

First of all, I'd like to say that I am a huge James Wan fan. The first Saw movie is the only one with a brain and quite frankly the only one worth watching, Dead Silence was in my mind, underrated and under-appreciated. Insidious was pure horror genius. And now The Conjuring.
It's a very well made movie. The tension builds at an almost unbearable pace seemingly to the point where you're craving the first big jump moment. Then it doesn't come. Not that it's a bad thing. It just means that it's a well constructed narrative.
James Wan takes his time with the movie and the story. It is clear that he isn't just going for the cheap scare. He introduces the characters as people, not just as future victims. This should be a cardinal rule in horror filmmaking, but sadly with the influx of torture porn and badly made remakes over the past ten years, it has gone by the wayside. A+ for The Conjuring in developing three dimensional characters that we actually care about. Let's be honest, when a dumb blonde that just had sex in the woods gets murdered by the ax wielding maniac, you don't give a damn and you know it.
Besides character development, The Conjuring has a lot going for it. I've seen a lot of praise for the actors in the film, but I think the movie would have been just as good if some guys other than Ron Livingston and Patrick Wilson played the male leads. Livingston adds nothing to the character, Patrick Wilson is fine, but horror fans and James Wan fans alike will now forever see him as only the dad from Insidious. The real attributes should go to the female actors in the film. Vera Farmiga plays a beautifully haunted medium who has recently been through a terrifying experience that has and will forever change her. She does not let on to the Perron family about how conflicted and scared she is to proceed with their case, but she trudges through for the sole purpose to help this innocent family in need of her services. Well done, Ms. Farmiga. The other acting highlight should go to Lili Taylor for playing two roles in the film. First, she plays the sweet and loving matriarch of the Perron family, Carolyn. Later on in the film, you see her transform as the demonic presence takes ahold of her. I wont reveal too much about this scene because I hate when I read a review and it spoils a key scene in the movie. The last twenty minutes will have you gripping the arms of your chair.
Now, for the bad news. The Conjuring falls short with the subject matter that it tries to tackle. By no fault of it's own, I might add. It's like trying to recreate The Last Supper or chisel a new Statue of David. You might make beautiful work. Virtually flawless in lots of ways, but there's just one thing wrong. What you are trying to do has already been perfected. The Conjuring takes on the subject of demonic possession, and does so in great entertaining fashion. The problem is you're never going to beat The Exorcist. By even attempting the same subject matter, you are giving yourself an unfair disadvantage and automatically putting yourself in second place. Sorry Mr. Wan. Your movie is awesome but it's still a silver medal.
Bottom Line: James Wan has done it again. Go for the scares, the psychological edge and the brilliant performances by Lili Taylor and Vera Farmiga. If nothing else, there's a creepy ass doll that will give you nightmares by itself.
The Conjuring: 8/10 For more reviews, go to www.imdbag.com