I have an unusual appreciation for dark movies. Even the bad ones with story lines like swiss cheese and terrible actors! A friend of mine passed me some information on a movie released in 2006 she feels I would adore. Unfortunately, I have had no luck tracking down a version in Toronto.

Requiem is inspired by the same true story of exorcism that the American made film Exorcism of Emily Rose was based on. I had managed to catch the latter in theatres, and found it rather disappointing. It had the usual eeriness that accompanies any story of possession, but in the end, I felt I had been conned into watching an hour long commercial for Catholicism.

Like many foreign made films, Requiem seems to take a braver approach than its American counterpart. The story echo's that of Emily, as the young Michaela leaves her rural community to attend University. There she finds new friendships, love and intoxication. Without her fanatically catholic mother in her daily life, she is able to indulge in all the sins of youth culture.

Requiem's story lacks all the twisted gruesomeness of a typical possession. This is not a story about the devil tormenting an innocent human soul. Instead, the makers decided to take a realistic approach, exploring the effect of extreme religious beliefs on the physically and mentally ill.

"(Michaela) finds herself torn between secular life and the temptation to identify with the torments of sainthood." (Jonathan Romney)

I was excited to read about Requiem, as I have long waited for a movie of this genre to explore the underpinnings of how and why someone would want to believe they were immersed in a battle for their soul with demons.

You can catch the Trailer on YouTube.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWD-0w4aAs

The story is based on Anneliese Michel exorcism, who died of starvation. You can read about her on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneliese_Michel