Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • July 31, 2013 Housing crisis affects family in ‘The Conjuring’ Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) examine unexplained occurrences in a newly purchased house in ‘The Conjuring.’ by Dennis Seuling “The Conjuring” is based on a true story, specifically a case investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), parapsychologists who made a career of examining and finding reasons for otherwise unexplainable occurrences. They have also participated in exorcisms. Carolyn and Roger Perron (Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston) have just moved into a new house with their five daughters. Initially thrilled with their large home, they gradually dis- cover that all is not right with it. Creepy noises abound, a series of bruises appear on Carolyn with no apparent cause, one of the daughters has conversations with a new, unseen “friend,” and birds dive, kamikaze-like, into the windows and walls. Concerned for the safety of their family, the Per- rons seek out the Warrens, pleading with them to visit the house and see for themselves what is happening. The Warrens sense an evil presence and agree to help Carolyn and Roger clean house. With their assistant Drew (Shannon Kook), and loads of cameras, microphones, tape recorders, and movement-sensors, they stake out the numerous rooms of the house. It doesn’t take long for ever more dramatic incidents to transpire. Does the plot so far sound suspiciously like “Polter- geist”? It is. The film is essentially a haunted house tale given an interesting spin by its basis in fact. The tendency of a viewer, even a fan of horror, is to be skeptical until a movie establishes suspension of disbelief. This never quite happens in “The Conjuring,” but direc- tor James Wan definitely knows how to build suspense and take his time developing tension. The Perrons are a normal family -- no wife beaters, ax murderers, or telekinetic kids among them -- so viewers can identify with them fairly quickly as Wan unfolds the beginning of what turns out to be an unforeseeable living nightmare. The fact that there are so many children in the household amps the stakes. Is the house possessed or are dark forces targeting this family in particular? Often, a haunted house film is greeted with the apt criticism, “Why don’t they just leave?” This question is addressed in one exchange of dialogue. Roger tells the War- rens that the family does not have the financial resources to go to a hotel and, when asked if they could stay with friends, asks, “Who’s going to take in a family of seven indefinitely?” The two female leads provide standout performances. Taylor’s Carolyn is a caring mother with a great relation- ship with her kids and husband. As incidents and danger within the home escalate, she seems to be especially sin- gled out by whatever is tormenting the house and family. She morphs from protector to victim and vividly projects the abject terror she feels. Farmiga, so excellent as the crazed mother on TV’s “Bates Motel,” turns in the kind of nuanced performance seldom seen in horror movies. Her Lorraine is intelligent, devout, and dedicated to helping others. Her clairvoyant ability makes her a valuable colleague for Ed, but the work has taken its toll in the past and the current case promises to be one of the most dangerous of their careers. As horror films go, “The Conjuring” depends more on psychological terror and growing tension than monsters, gore, and gross-out images. The story commands full attention and envelops viewers in its carefully woven web of eeriness, the other worldly, and human vulnerability as it builds to a climax, at which point director Wan pulls out the stops to shock the audience with startling images and the characters’ reactions. Despite a climactic scene that con- tradicts rules established earlier, the movie is a powerful exploration of the supernatural. Rated R for some violent scenes, “The Conjuring” is the latest in the creepy old house sub-genre of horror films, without many of the clichés. There is no ominous stranger warning the family away, nothing trapping the family within the house, no monsters, and no last-minute natural explanation of seemingly supernatural events. Instead, this is a thoughtful picture with solid characters who act intel- ligently despite encroaching terror.