Dogma (1999)

Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.

Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark Englehart Amazon.com

Good movie

I bought this movie because Kevin Smith aka Silent Bob was the director and it didn't dissapoint me at all. I couldn't stop laughing. Great story, great actors. January 8, 2009

I repeat, this is not a drill. This is the apocalypse. Please exit the hospital in an orderly fashion. Thank you

'Dogma' is an irreverent look at religion from auteur Kevin Smith. Though it was protested by religious groups it shows that Kevin Smith has obviously studied and thought about the subject quite a bit, though his view is admittedly askew. I was expecting that it would be a terrible movie, but Smith had a lot of profound thoughts and waited until he was mature enough as a film maker to tackle them. There was only a few places where the acting was as bad as in his first film, 'Clerks,' and by that I mean places where you are acutely aware that the actors are reading a script, one weighted down with a lot of philosophy and theology, and they falter under their burden. Ben Affleck, as rogue angel Bartleby, carries a lot of the excess theological baggage, so I suppose that it isn't really fair to single him out. Salma Hayek, as the muse Serendipity, was nominated for a Razzie award for worst acting--but she didn't win it!

In 'Dogma' we have the usual Kevin Smith obsessions: New Jersey, Quick Marts, Hockey, John Hughes film references--and there is the usual cast of Jason Mewes and himself as Jay and Silent Bob, along with frequent flyers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Jason Lee, augmented with Chris Rock as the 13th Apostle Rufus, Linda Fiorentino as Bethany Sloane, Alanis Morissette, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Janeane Garofalo, and Alan Rickman.

If you have ever wondered how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, and wanted to see a movie that ponders such topics--along with pot, potty, and other sorts of tasteless jokes--then 'Dogma' is the movie for you! Not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

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Nun: You don't believe in God because of Alice in Wonderland?
Loki: No, "Through the Looking Glass". That poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that's an indictment of organized religion. The walrus, with his girth and his good nature, he obviously represents either Buddha, or... or with his tusk, the Hindu elephant god, Lord Ganesha. That takes care of your Eastern religions. Now the carpenter, which is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ, who was raised a carpenter's son, he represents the Western religions. Now in the poem, what do they do... what do they do? They... They dupe all these oysters into following them and then proceed to shuck and devour the helpless creatures en masse. I don't know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths based on mythological figures ensure the destruction of one's inner-being. Organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions... by inhibiting our decisions, out of... out of fear of some... some intangible parent figure who... who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago and says...
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OTHER NOTABLE FILM ROLES FROM 'DOGMA' CAST MEMBERS

De-Lovely (2004) .... Alanis Morissette was a Musical Performer - "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love" in this Cole Porter biopic
Reindeer Games (2000) .... Ben Affleck was Rudy
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) .... Matt Damon was Tom Ripley
... aka The Mysterious Yearning Secretive Sad Lonely Troubled Confused Loving Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate Talented Mr. Ripley
Jade (1995) .... Linda Fiorentino was Trina Gavin
The Last Seduction (1994) .... Linda Fiorentino was Bridget Gregory
Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003) Jason Mewes (as Jay Mewes) was .... Jay the MC
Ted and Venus (1991) .... Bud Cort was Ted Whitley
Almost Famous (2000) .... Jason Lee was Jeff Bebe
Frida (2002) .... Salma Hayek was Frida Kahlo
The Cable Guy (Full Screen) (1996) .... Janeane Garofalo was the Medieval Times Waitress

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Hospital P. A.: I repeat, this is not a drill. This is the apocalypse. Please exit the hospital in an orderly fashion. Thank you.
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December 6, 2008

Hilarious, but...

I think you'd have to have spent your high school years at a Catholic school like I did to truly appreciate it. October 6, 2008

Holy crap, batman

This is without any doubt, the worst film I ever had the misfortune to see. Truly, impressively, stunningly awful, pretentious, stupid... just bad. September 23, 2008

Brilliant Kevin Smith flick!

Great story line, written by Kevin Smith; two angels expelled from Heaven are seeking a way to get back, and they find it - in the Catholic Church, by way of plenary indulgence. It's up to the Last Scion and a few others (including Jay and Silent Bob - snoogins!) to stop them before they unmake creation. September 23, 2008

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