Manny The Movie Guy /

One can argue that Anthony Hopkins, nineteen years after winning an Academy Award for his memorable turn as Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs ," could not shake off the image of his iconic serial killer portrayal.

In the new thriller "The Rite ," Hopkins plays a legendary priest who has performed thousands of exorcisms. Look closely in his performance, and you can see an evil cannibal glint in his eyes.

Silencing demons is the main subject of the movie. The first part of the film introduces us to Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), an American student who is sent to study exorcism at the Vatican. He has doubts not only about the controversial practice, he also questions his own faith.

Things get really interesting when Michael meets Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins). As the apprentice of the exorcist, Michael witnesses Lucas' unconventional way of casting out demons.

Taking a cell phone call in the middle of performing exorcism, Lucas wryly quips to Michael, "What did you expect? Spinning heads? Pea soup?" That line graciously reminds us that this is not William Friedkin's "The Exorcist. "

Not even close.

Horror fans love movies featuring demonic possessions. Just in recent years, we were bombarded with films like "The Exorcism of Emily Rose " and "The Last Exorcism ." But "The Rite" is billed as "based on true events," and that is apparently enough for us to believe proof of the Devil.

Suggested by the book by Matt Baglio, screenwriter Michael Petroni ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ") penned a script that has some interesting notions about spirituality and the tug-of-war between good and evil.

Too bad some unintentionally funny scenes littered the last part of the film, and I also did not buy Michael's character development shown through a series of flashbacks where we meet his father (the underused Rutger Hauer). Alice Braga ("Predators ") also shows up as a reporter investigating exorcism at the Vatican.

Director Mikael Håfström knows how to merge style and suspense. His skills were on full display in 2007's "1408 " where a vulnerable John Cusack is attacked by ghosts inside a hotel room.

The spiritual push-and-pull seems to be Håfström's specialty and he takes you on a journey that will test your patience but will be rewarded with above-average technical qualities.

The special effects are better than "The Exorcism of Emily Rose " and "The Last Exorcism ," and the cinematography by Ben Davis helps improve the film's diabolical mood.

But in the end, it's Hopkins who anchors this film. Sure, his character is not locked up inside a grimy insane asylum, but Hannibal's spirit lives on. At least Hopkins can blame the Devil. He made him do it.