Strong Acting but Story is too ambitious

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2005)

First, I would like to say that any movie that deals with Satan and Hell is a large undertaking in any script. What usually happens is that the screenwriter needs to resort to stereotypical images of what Satan might look like to the human eye. This is the case in Constantine.
Peter Stormare who plays Satan is a great character actor. He pulls off his role but I feel that he was kind of set up in a way. They made him wear a white suit. I don't know about you but the white suit was a bit laughable. As Donald Trump would say, "Wardrobe, You're Fired!!" I beg to differ with the other reviewer. I thought the actors were the strongest part of this production. I love Rachel Weisz. She is an amazing actress on the same scale as Kate Winslet. What I also like about her is that she is in many films but she is not a name brand. This makes me feel like she is my secret treasure when I go to the movies. You know what I mean. I don't have to share her with millions of other movie fans. Ever since I saw her in "Confidence" with Edward Burns, I've been hooked. The sad part is that she is going to be famous very soon and the masses are going to enjoy her as much as me.
I'll see anything with Keanu Reaves in it. He was excellent as Neo in the Matrix series and he is excellent in this film too. He's the strong, silent type of actor. You either like him or hate him. I chose to support his roles and I am glad he chooses to take on ambitious roles that are risky. Actors should take risks. That is why film is art. If it were conventional, it would be boring and not creative.
Unfortunately, the story falls a bit flat at the end. I will not give anything away because I do feel that this movie has some bright moments and is worthy of a screening. Let's not blame the actors. I would blame the screenwriter for taking the easy way out and using stereotypical images of heaven and hell to wrap up this story.