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This film is not as controversial and blasphemous as certain
religious groups would have us believe. It is actually a very
funny (but strange) movie that just happens to have a few biblical
(and non biblical) characters in it. It certainly has many scenes
that some people will find offensive, but then what movie doesn't?
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team up again (after Good Will Hunting)
to play Bartleby and Loki, two renegade angels who have been
banished from heaven and walk the earth disguised as humans.
They find plenty to amuse themselves whilst amongst us mortals
(like trying to convince nuns to change careers) but they would
really rather be back home in heaven. They get their chance
when they stumble across a loophole in Catholic dogma that would
allow them to be cleansed of their sins and be re-admitted to
Paradise. The downside of this is that this would show God up
as being fallible, which would in turn cause all of creation
to cease to exist (don't try and think about it, just accept
it).
Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) is the girl assigned the crusade
of stopping Bartleby and Loki. Along the way she runs into all
manner of weirdoes, including the voice of God (Alan Rickman
in very dry humorous form), the forgotten black apostle (Chris
Rock), Kevin Smith regulars Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes
and Kevin Smith), and Serendipity the muse turned stripper (Salma
Hayek).
The movie is full of slapstick humour, loads of swearing (mostly
from Jay), and tonnes of movie in jokes (watch for The Karate
Kid, The Incredible Hulk, and the Six Million Dollar Man, amongst
others). Some of it is just plain bizarre. Case in point: the
attack of the hellish 'Shit Demon'.
The movie probably goes on for about 20 minutes too long as
it starts to lose some of the comic momentum that it has built
up in the first hour or so. The ending itself is pretty surreal,
with Alanis Morissette making an appearance as the Almighty.
If you like strange and offbeat humour you will like Dogma.
If you are easily offended, maybe you should pass on this one.
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