IR Film Review: THE CONJURING - THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT [Warner Brothers]
The aspect of connection is the fuel that permeates every being. "The Conjuring" as a series of films have always been about trying to understand that which at times cannot be explained. But the film themselves in their main form work best because of the two characters at the center and specifically the actors playing them. Ed and Lorraine Warren explored many interesting phenomena including the original Amityville House. This reviewer met Lorraine at her house in Massachusetts before the release of the first "Conjuring" for an international outlet. She was soft spoken but direct. One could see the fire there. It always surprises me how Vera Farmiga is able to capture both that strength and softness, that fearlessness while understanding the texture of the generation she grew up in. Ed Warren had passed away before the first movie came out. What is interesting within the texture of the current film "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it" is that in the prologue something happens to Ed which Lorraine alluded to in a way when we met but without any details. This for me gave it more resonance seeing it in a theater.
These movies are based on actual case files the Warrens had though of course much i enhanced for dramatic and moviegoing purposes and effect. That said, the texture of concern and risk to the Warrens themselves seem a little bit higher here which is what makes it work. Patrick Wilson as Ed and Farmiga as Lorraine works effortlessly (though it is, of course, not effortless). The story here is different as this case differs from possessions and works in a slightly different realm. The characters as always take it from a grounded point of view. The story is OK in what it is investigating and the other performers are decent but it is about how the two of them move through the space in any given scene. Another great piece of casting which is undeniable besides them for this chapter is John Noble, best known for his turn as "Walter" on "Fringe". the way the camera captures him, he looks at times old and then young in a matter of speaking.
His character balances what they are seeing and his empathy allows the story points that flow through him be effective but not overwhelming in what they are, and allow the final progression to work. The essence of betrayal and the resonance of love per se without being schmaltzy pushes the story forward. As long as there are cases, these films will have their audience. But this one feels seemingly more personal. One scene in a morgue shows this undeniably because the tables become turned in a way. "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" is effective (with some great late 70s/early 80s needle drops to boot) but succeeds primarily because of the continued luminescence of its two leads, especially Farmiga. B
By Tim Wassberg
