Rated R for violence and demonic images.
121 Minutes
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Written BY: Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis
Staring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Shia LaBeouf, Gavin Rossdale, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker, and Peter Stormare
Angels and Demons can’t cross over onto our plane. So, instead we get what I call half-breeds. The influence peddlers. They can only whisper in our ears. But a single word can give you courage, or turn your favorite pleasure into your worst nightmare. Those with the demon’s touch like those part angel, living alongside us. They call it the balance. I call it hypocritical bullshit. -John Constantine
Review
Keanu Reeves makes a brilliant choice and ops for a darker fantasy film that essentially deals with Satan and God once again. Not unlike The Devils Advocate this film focuses more on the dark side of our existence rather than the light, but these two films similarities end there. The setting for Constantine has a realistic feel, that’s ominous receptivity is more than palpable. Together it combines the supernatural, it’s comic book roots, and a suspenseful thriller that embodies some of the most frightening questions and fears about the battle between light and dark.
Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer and written by Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello, Constantine tells the story of supernatural detective John Constantine, who has literally been to hell and back in this highly stylized action-thriller. In a routine exorcism Constantine sees something that tells him some much larger evil is awry, and suddenly the rules and laws of good and evil and being smashed around him. He must make the right choices to avenge his own soul and save mankind.
The plot is laid out in a natural and descriptive manner that allows the viewer to connect and learn about the main players, while still getting a good picture of the playing field below. Rules are set, and some are inevitably obvious they will be broken. The story balances educating it’s viewer with information, while simultaneously remaining mysterious and aloof. This preternatural story has the foreboding of Rosemary’s Baby while having the menacing excitement of Poltergeist. It is truly of the greater supernatural stories created in recent days and has the lasting power to be named with other classic titles for years to come.
The small innuendos and subtle clues that connect the mystery to one giant finale evokes our own superstitions or beliefs with a powerful plot line that is full of raw emotion, personal triumphs and crashes for our main character’s, and a desperation for answers that mirrors reality so clearly that it’s obvious nature plays out perfectly as a fictional undertone.
It’s highly distinct visuals are enamoring on their own. Each main character has a superhero/villain appearance that isn’t over the top enough to not fit in with day to day society, but it is enough to remove them as something different and more special, which is an utterly brilliant physical metaphor for the character’s existences. The tone the colors and the manner in which the film is captured on camera touch reality, but really omit the feeling of stepping into a different side of reality that seems identical to our own, but is entirely more sinister.
The cast delivered the stories message so clearly it seemed the roles were actually written for each member. This is the kind of rule that suits Keanu Reeves. It’s dark, detached, and strong, but doesn’t require a stretch of emotions for him. His counter-part Rachel Weisz was utterly marvelous. Her presence is unyielding and yet remains quietly insinuated. It’s always there, and her performance in this film made all of the high struck emotions something the viewer could really feel. The supporting actors, including Tilda Swanson in one of her first American roles, was a breath taking scene stealer. From the moment she garnered the focus of the camera till moments after it left her, the intensity of the movie was suddenly heightened. She is one of the best actresses available today and her making such a small, yet important, role so dynamic and huge, was a remarkable display of her talent, and it gave so much more to an already exciting film. Other supporters including Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Peter Stormare, and Gavin Rossdale were excellent additions, really pulling together outside characters and making them feel fleshed out and three dimensional.
Constantine is one of my favorite films in this genre and as I’ve mentioned I believe has the ability to last threw the times as a classic in it’s category. It captured all the positive aspects of a supernatural story, the visual landscape of a comic, the timing of a great suspense thriller, and characters that were captivating and mysterious. Even though the conclusion of the story gives you answers and closure, it feels like the characters continue to live on in their twisted and demented world that seems to coincide with our own. This is a movie for an adult audience that isn’t afraid to let their imagination be whisked away by darkness. Absolutely brilliant.
I like the new look of the site! Though I’m going to have to get used to it’s navigation.
Love Constantine. Probably Keanu’s best movie other than The Matrix.
Constantine was wonderfully shot and has such a dark and dense feeling. I am not a huge fan of Keanu Reeves, he is good but not great. I would much rather have seen someone else play the role.
I cant stand Keanu either except in Bill and Ted and he was only being himself there. However, he does somehow manage to rock out in a lot of films, this being one of them. These was probably one of my top twenty films of the past decade. You should do a top ten list of the 80′s!
Well said Athena! I remember him in Parenthood, another movie where he plays himself basically.
He also played himself in Point Break and mostly every other role he plays. He doesn’t have any range, but sometimes movies like this and The Devils Advocate works out for him.
His accent in The Devils Advocate was decent!