Dogma

DOGMA (15)

D: Kevin Smith

Miramax/View Askew (Scott Mosier)

USA 🇺🇸 1999

135 mins

Comedy/Fantasy

W: Kevin Smith

DP: Robert Yeoman

Ed: Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier

Mus: Howard Shore

PD: Robert 'Ratface' Holtzman

Ben Affleck (Bartleby), Matt Damon (Loki), Linda Fiorentino (Bethany), Salma Hayek (Serendipity), Jason Lee (Azrael), Alan Rickman (Metatron), Chris Rock (Rufus), Jason Mewes (Jay), Kevin Smith (Silent Bob), George Carlin (Cardinal Glick), Alanis Morissette (God)

Kevin Smith's controversial satire on Catholism will doubtlessly offend religious viewers, but for those who aren't devout to the Christian faith may find it quite a humorous comic-book fantasy.

Matt Damon & Ben Affleck play two exiled angels who have been roaming the Earth for two millennia. They discover a loophole which will allow them to return to heaven, an act which will cause Armageddon.

Equally bizarre and theological, Kevin Smith's point that religious faith has been dumbed down doesn't come across all that clearly, resulting in a bit of a mess for the intended satire, but there's more than enough comedy to satisfy fans of his previous work, and the characters Jay & Silent Bob reappear as part of a group given a mission to prevent the fallen angels from carrying out their plans.

The clever, often hilarious dialogue in the screenplay more than makes up for some of the poor performances, particularly from Salma Hayek, who is incredibly miscast.

6/10