A vision of Hell - but not quite up to it.

Rating: 6/10 (13 March 2005)

Starting with a scene that would do justice to "The Exorcist" the remaining film falls short of promise. The plot has all the logic of the comic strip, and heaps of Biblical babble that is mainly nonsense. The crux of the story is summed up in an old Chris de Burgh song "Spanish Train" wherein God and the Devil gamble for souls. Keanu Reeves is Po faced, certainly not Mr. Congeniality, but is cement set in his old Matrix role. However in fairness he does what he can in his limited range as the Metaphysical Detective of the Woeful Countenance. The female lead Rachael Weisz acts her heart out, and seems up to the task of ridding the world of unspeakables. Yet more impressive are the cameo performances of delightful Tilda Swinton as very oddball Angel Gabriel and Peter Stormare as a particularly repulsive Devil.
Constantine is a chain-smoking demon catcher, enlisted to investigate the suicide of Weisz's sister, and finds instead the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil. He can see both angels and demons when they appear on earth which helps him sort things out no end.
The director manages to create a dark Gothic look to the visuals, and some very creepy moments, and the picture is at its best when the effects are played down, and the actors are played up. Visions of Hell are right out of Hieronymus Bosch, and a nice gritty feeling pervades. Things fall apart when absurd props are introduced like the Demon Demolishing Gun that appears to be left over from Van Hesling (which was a send up anyhow.)
It's a pity more adult concepts weren't permitted to lift the picture into a higher class of Gothic horror, and one feels a good movie lurking in the background. And is there a quit smoking message in there - yes there is.