Let me preface this particular blog by saying that I am an atheist. I do not believe in any deity or religious entity whatsoever. However, I do respect the beliefs of others. When it comes to religious films, I can be very picky. As long as a movie is not too preachy, I can handle it. Movies are art, and are meant to be taken as such. As an atheist, I look at religious movies from an artistic standpoint. Ok, now that I have that out of the way....
One of the fun things about doing this blog is talking about movies that I have heard about for years, but never actually seen. Dogma is another one of those films. I have always been a huge Kevin Smith fan, so six months ago when I watched it for the first time I could not have been more pleased.
Dogma is the story of two banished angels, Loki and Bartleby, who are trying to exploit a loophole so that they can reenter heaven. It is arguably Kevin Smith's most popular movie. This movie serves as a comedy that seems to be the result of years of Catholic upbringing being shoved down Kevin Smith's throat. Dogma is not meant to be taken seriously, and I believe one might be offended if they do.
This movie has a stellar cast, most notably Alan Rickman as the Metatron. It is amazing to see an actor of Rickman's caliber in a movie like this. He brings such a wit and sense of humor to his role that is pleasantly surprising and downright hilarious. The scene between him and Linda Fiorentino in the lake is actually quite moving. For me personally, Alan Rickman steals the show.
Kevin Smith's writing in the movie is brilliant. It just feels like he is venting for two hours. Of course, if religion was shoved down my throat all my life I would be venting too. There are many scenes that are quite well directed, such as the aforementioned lake scene. I feel like Kevin Smith knew what Alan Rickman would bring to the movie, because all of his scenes seem to be directed the best. Also, the scene where Bartleby and Loki massacre the people in the office building is very well done (and quite hilarious), and the ending scene in front of the church is just pure spectacle at its finest.
If you are religious and take your religion seriously, I would advise against watching this movie. However, if you are not religious and/or appreciate the fact that this is just a movie, you will thoroughly enjoy it. It has a great cast, a great story, and is an epic fantasy at its finest.
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