Cast: Linda Fiorentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Bud Cort, Alanis Morissette
Director: Kevin Smith
Producer: Scott Mosier
Screenplay: Kevin Smith
Cinematography: Robert D. Yeoman
Music: Howard Shore
U.S. Distributor: Lions Gate Films
After only three films, writer/director/actor Kevin Smith has become a major cult icon and a hugely popular figure among males in the 15-35 year-old age group. It's not hard to understand the attraction. Smith is as down-to-earth as they come. He calls things as he sees them and has the same likes, dislikes, neuroses, and obsessions as the average American Joe. He loves comic books and superheroes, is a big Star Wars fan, and isn't afraid of being seriously politically incorrect. Plus - and this is a big plus - he's a very funny guy. His wit, which is often self-deprecating (he calls himself a terrible director and a bad actor), never takes a vacation. Speaking to Smith in person is as enjoyable as watching one of his movies. His commentary tracks on the laser disc and DVD versions of his movies are better than the soundtracks for most comedies.
Smith's feature debut, Clerks, was a smash success at Sundance, where Miramax snapped it up. The movie is bawdy, crude (both in its amateurish appearance and language), and absolutely hilarious. Following the success of Clerks, Smith was given some money, and the result was Mallrats, a somewhat disappointing mixture of off-color humor and John Hughes. That film has perhaps been unfairly maligned - it's not great entertainment, but it has its moments. For his third outing, Smith again found himself on a tight budget, and the result was Chasing Amy, which combined elements of Clerks' humor with an offbeat, brilliantly realized romance that defies romantic comedy conventions at every turn.
Now, there's Dogma, Smith's most ambitious effort to-date. Sadly, this appears to be a case of a filmmaker whose vision exceeds his grasp. Like the previous Smith offerings, Dogma wants to make its audience laugh, but it also seeks to explore religious and cultural issues, and the two goals are often at cross-purposes. I give Smith credit for having the cojones to even attempt a project like this, but the more serious aspects of Dogma are only sporadically successful. It's not that there aren't intriguing ideas here, because there are, but some of the dialogue is surprisingly uninteresting and the movie runs about 30 minutes longer than it should
In a development that should surprise no one, Dogma is being denounced by the Catholic League (sight unseen). One wonders if these people don't have anything better to do with their time than to harass filmmakers. Yes, the movie takes a few potshots at Catholicism. The most obvious occurs near the beginning, when George Carlin, cast as a cardinal, announces a new "Catholicism - Wow!" campaign designed to re-invigorate the religion. The crucifix is being retired because it's a depressing image. Christ is to be seen as a booster, so the new icon will be the "Buddy Christ" - a smiling, winking Jesus giving everyone the thumbs-up. But in examining Catholicism's role in the modern world, Smith doesn't just crack jokes and offer mockery; he has several serious comments to make about the religion under the auspices of which he was raised. On one occasion, a character makes the penetrating comment that too many Catholics "don't celebrate your faith; you mourn it." Most of the people criticizing Dogma from the pulpit haven't even seen the movie; if they took the time to view it, they'd realize that the film's intent is far less heinous than they have been told.
Like the more scathing and incisive Monty Python's The Life of Brian, Dogma isn't as much anti-God as it is anti-organized religion. In many ways, this is a reverent motion picture, and it's clear that Smith has an excellent grasp of the material he's poking fun at. Roger Ebert has written that perhaps a catechism should be issued to non-Catholics before seeing this film, but I think he overstates how deeply into Catholic dogma the movie delves. I don't think the uninitiated will be left in the dark, although they may miss one or two finer points. For example, even though many viewers will not know what a "plenary indulgence" is, Smith offers an adequate explanation for his purposes.
The problems with Dogma are that it's uneven, overlong, and occasionally uninteresting. To be fair, there are times when it's positively brilliant, and some of the humor is hilarious (as we have come to expect from Kevin Smith). There were occasions when I was nearly doubled over with laughter - just not enough of them. Dogma is described as a comedic fantasy, but when it gets bogged down in the comic book-style elements, it grows tiresome. The film is about two angels, Loki (Matthew Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck), who have been cast out of heaven for past misdeeds but have found a way back in using a loophole in Catholic dogma. However, since their return would prove God to be fallible, it would unmake reality. So it's up to a woman named Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), the "Last Scion," to stop them and save the world. She's not alone in her task - assisting her are Metatron (Alan Rickman), the voice of the Lord; Rufus (Chris Rock), Christ's ignored 13th apostle; Serendipity (Salma Hayek), a muse-turned-stripper; and the irrepressible duo of Jay & Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith). Most of the film is patterned after a road picture, with this group of oddball characters slowly making their way from America's heartland to Red Bank, New Jersey, where the final battle will occur. Along the way, they deconstruct John Hughes movies and try to figure out where God has gone.
The plot is only sporadically involving, and there are long stretches when the humor dries up. This worked in Smith's Chasing Amy, when the characters were vivid and the drama compelling, but not here. No one in this film is particularly well drawn. Bethany, the individual with the most screen time, is barely fleshed out. The two angels, despite being portrayed by a pair of popular actors, bring proceedings to a grinding halt every time they make an appearance. Their arguments and philosophical ramblings are neither amusing nor insightful. For the most part, Smith is a brilliant writer, but he loses his way with Loki and Bartleby.
However, every time Dogma threatens to slip into unrelieved tedium, one of two factors saves it. The first is Alan Rickman, whose low-key performance as Metatron is delightful. Rickman's dry, acerbic wit does justice to Smith's dialogue in a way that a more flamboyant approach might not have. Then there are Jay & Silent Bob, who have appeared in all four of Smith's films. They're in fine form here. Nearly every line out of Jay's mouth is worthy of a chuckle, if not a hearty guffaw, and the ones in the worst taste are often the funniest (such as "An abortion clinic's a good place to pick up loose women"). Smith gives 90% of the good jokes to Jason Mewes, who delivers them with a stoned vacuousness. Jay & Silent Bob add a needed spark and energy to Dogma that is missing when they're off-screen.
A couple of fascinating casting choices are worthy of mention. The first is George Carlin, who plays Cardinal Glick, the driving force behind the new Catholic reformation. Much of what Carlin has to say and do lacks inspiration, but it's great fun just to see him in the role. Carlin's superior in Dogma, God, is interpreted by a mute Alanis Morissette (replacing Emma Thompson, who was Smith's first choice for the Deity). It's impossible to judge the singer's acting ability based on such limited exposure, but her one scene is interesting. (And, since she's in female form, Jay is interested in having sex with her.)
Dogma contains a great deal more violence than Smith's other films (none of which really had any - unless you count the deleted ending of Clerks), and it results in a large body count. (What else would you expect from a movie about a potential Armageddon?) The gore is all over-the-top and unreal (much like that in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies), so it shouldn't shock or upset anyone... but you never know.
Once again, Smith wears three hats. As a director, he can kindly be described as pedestrian, and he is unlikely to impress anyone with his versatility or aptitude. (During a pre-screening introduction at Toronto, he quipped that, for this film, he actually tried moving the camera around a little.) As an actor, his range is limited, but no one else could do Silent Bob as well. Smith's strength has always been his writing, so, on those occasions when Dogma founders in that area, it's distressing. The release delays and change in distributors (from Miramax to Lions Gate) have fueled anticipation for this film in some quarters, and those who approach Dogma with unreasonably high expectations may be disappointed. Ultimately, the movie is almost more noteworthy for the controversy it is causing outside of theaters than for its actual content.
© 1999 James Berardinelli