Disturbing, dark and ultimately rewarding

Rating: 10/10 (7 February 2005)

This is an extremely disturbing movie....and I can understand why many people don't like it. It's not crowd-pleasing and it contains some topics that would make a Catholic blush. But it is a movie that will stay long in your mind.
I won't go into what the story is all about, there are going to be plenty of people who will be doing that.
But I'll list what I like (spoilers ahead): 1. Keanu Reeves is great here. I've read some issues of the comic Constantine, and Reeves does make the character come across. Note that Constantine is indeed a cynical, arrogant, jaded, mostly unlikeable character with a spark of humanity hovering just below the surface. This last is most apparent in his later dealings with Angela.
I have to say this is Keanu's best performance to date.
2. Rachel Weisz - she's absolutely great. It's a very human performance - the everyman foil to the brooding Constantine.
3. The CGI - fantabulous. The images you see here will be seared in your brain long after. I found myself wishing for prolonged scenes of hell.
4. The soldier demons and the bee-demon - marvelous creations.
5. The angel Gabriel - Tilda Swinton in a completely scene-stealing role, as the angel who decides to take matters in his own hands.
Things I thought could have been done better: 1. The storyline. A little confusing at first. Then more and more is revealed, and it all comes together.
2. The climax - it's a dogma climax, of discussion and theology, not a shoot-em-up explosion climax.
3. The supporting characters have too little screen time - Chaz, Papa Midnight, Beeman.
All in all, it's a very unusual and disturbing movie. Well worth your time, to challenge your dogma, if nothing else. It's steeped in Christian lore about redemption, suicide, heaven and hell. I've personally never seen anything like it.