Film Addict's December Film Choice

As of this month, I have graced this planet for 23 years and in celebration of that, I have decided to share with you, anyone who is out there, one of my favourite films.  My original intention was to review New Year's Eve on New Year's Eve because I thought it would fit but when I was watching it, I thought it would be a better idea to share one of my favourite films because that's what Film Addict's Choice of the Month is really, though occasionally, the definition changes whenever I think something might suit a particular month.  So this month, the Film Addict's December Film Choice is Dogma.

Dogma is a comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith in 1999 starring Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, Good Will Hunting), Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity, Good Will Hunting), Linda Fiorentino (Men in Black, Vision Quest), Alan Rickman (The Harry Potter series, Love Actually), Salma Hayek (Puss in Boots, Grown Ups), Chris Rock (Madagascar, Grown Ups), Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, The Incredibles), George Carlin (Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure, Cars), Jason Mewes (Clerks, Chasing Amy), and the director himself, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy).  Affleck, Lee, and Mewes are frequent collaborators with Smith, appearing in a number of his other work and Mewes and Smith are known for their portrayal of the dynamic duo, Jay and Silent Bob, characters that pop in various films.  Dogma triggered a lot of controversy prior to its release due to its take on Catholicism but it is not meant to offend and it is worth a watch.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Kevin Smith fans; Alan Rickman fans; Chris Rock fans; those that like quest-like stories

Favourite Characters: Metatron; Rufus; Silent Bob

Favourite Part: Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the shit that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, televangelism.  But especially the fractioning of all the religions.  He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.
Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas.  You can change an idea.  Changing a belief is trickier...

Good Points: Love the cast and their characters; interesting take on religion; quest-like story; everything comes together nicely

Bad Points: Long film - can drag a bit

Dogma is about to fallen angels, Bartleby (Affleck) and Loki (Damon), who have been banished to Earth for disobeying God's orders centuries ago as Loki quit being the Angel of Death for God (with Bartleby's encouragement) but now want to get back home after being forced to live in Wisconsin following their banishment.  They are informed by an unknown source that to celebrate the bicentennial of his cathedral in New Jersey, Cardinal Glick (Carlin) is rededicating his cathedral in the image of the "Buddy Christ" and during the celebration, anyone who enters will be forgiven for any sin, permitting direct entry into Heaven, if they die soon after.  And so the fallen angels set out for New Jersey.  So to stop the fallen angels from entering Heaven once again because it would prove God wrong if they succeed, Metatron (Rickman) calls upon Bethany (Fiorentino), a despondent, Catholic, abortion clinic employee, to stop them without a lot of explanation but does tell her that she will be helped by two prophets, one who will talk at length (Mewes) and the other doesn't speak (Smith), who she meets the next night and with their (unhelpful) guidance, she decides to do as Metatron asks.  She gains more assistance on her way to New Jersey in the form of Rufus (Rock), the thirteenth apostle who was left out of the Bible because he was black, and Serendipity (Hayek), a former muse while the demon, Azrael (Lee) tries to keep the fallen angels from being exposed.  Altogether, Bethany, Jay, Bob, Rufus, and Serendipity continue to New Jersey to stop the angels.

While completely random altogether, I loved the cast of Dogma and it was hard to pick a favourite character as they had a great dynamic, both the antagonists and the protagonists, and all had great qualities and flaws, all different yet equally appealing.  They are all a good choice as I can't imagine anyone else as any of the characters, making their role their own.  On top of that, it is easy to tell Affleck and Damon as well as Mewes and Smith have known each other for years because they mesh together even better than the others, bouncing off one another as double acts do.

I always find Dogma to be an interesting take on religion in comparison to most films that revolve around religion as they tend to impose their own beliefs on the audience while Dogma, for me, is just a Catholic director sharing his view on his own religion.  I saw this film as a more spiritual way of thinking about Christianity; it's more of an idea then a belief, as you can update an old idea for a modern world, as we seem to ignore some messages from the Bible for others that don't really work in this world.

Dogma is a good old fashioned quest style story with a hero and her compatriots travelling across the land to stop the antagonists from destroying the world they live in.  I love this kind of story because it brings some unlikely characters together and can result in a great climax as they conquer their foes while simultaneously learning something about themselves which is why Dogma is one of my favourite films as Bethany is sent on a quest to find God in more ways than one.

At first, parts of the film seem really random with little to no explanation what is going on but as it getter further and further into the film, everything starts to make sense and everything appears to be interconnected.  I love this aspect because it implies that a lot of thought went into everything, including background action which I only noticed after multiple viewings which is yet another aspect which makes any film interesting because finding new things keeps your attention and can help bring more understanding to the film in some way.

I couldn't narrow down my favourite character to just one or two as I liked so many different characters for different reasons but I did cut it down to three.  There were multiple reasons for Metatron being one of my favourite characters but the biggest reason is that he is portrayed by Alan Rickman, one of my many favourite actors especially when it's a comedy film as he has a dry sense of humour which he brings to his characters, portraying them as surly and sarcastic which always makes me laugh - it's the British sense of humour through and through.  Another reason is that he has this other side to him as he comforts Bethany through the rough moments of her journey, showing that at least one angel cares about humanity in this world.

Just like Metatron, Rufus brought a different sense of humour to Dogma that I really loved as I always love Chris Rock when he is performing stand up or in a film because I find him hysterical whilst bringing some wisdom to his performance.  While Jay and Silent Bob help guide Bethany to her destination to stop Bartleby and Loki as the prophets Metatron tells her about, Rufus helps Bethany in other ways, acting more as a spirit guide rather than a sidekick and renews Bethany's faith, something she has lost long before Metatron enters her life.

I don't know why, maybe it's because he has so few lines, but Silent Bob is my final favourite character because I always laugh when he speaks or is focussed on for a few moments.  As he speaks very little, something he is known for - hence his nickname - as he is a recurring character in Smith's work along with Jay, Bob's expressions and actions say more than anything else, which makes him interesting for me because it makes you pay attention constantly to him as well as the film.

I do find Dogma to be long in the grand scheme as there are scenes that come off of the main story featuring Azrael that be written out as they seem a little pointless to me even though I like Jason Lee as Azrael and an actor.  It could be rewritten how Bartleby and Loki find out about the church; they could have happened upon it in the paper or seen in on a TV which would have reduced the length of the film slightly.  This is just a personal preference as some people could be bored before they get to the end which is why I think Dogma isn't as popular as it could be because it's funny and has a great message.

Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the shit that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, televangelism.  But especially the fractioning of all the religions.  He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.
Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas.  You can change an idea.  Changing a belief is trickier...

This sums up the message of this film for me as Smith believes religion is more spiritual than anything else and it's the reason why Rufus is one of my favourite characters as he helps bring back Bethany's faith during her crisis of faith, starting with being honest with her and helping her through her journey.  Maybe it's why I love this film so much but I actually agree that religion is more of an idea which you can share and discuss rather than an belief that you hold so dear that you don't want to accept any other opinion and therefore, some people force their belief on others; as Rufus says, "changing a belief is trickier" as ideas seem to evolve as we learn more about the world and we can discuss it for as long as we want.  I am not religious myself but I have an idea of what I can put my faith in and I have faith in humanity in the end.

Dogma is a great film in my opinion despite the length of it as it is funny with multiple actors bringing their own sense of humour and style to their roles whilst simultaneously delivering a wonderful message about faith which I find profound.  I may not be religious but I have faith in humanity and Dogma has helped with this.  I love the cast as they mesh together well and long-term friendships between Affleck and Damon as well as Mewes and Smith help their individual dynamics flourish as expected and I couldn't imagine anyone else in any of the roles.  If you're looking for a quest like adventure story with an eclectic cast then I recommend Dogma as it is very funny and enjoyable.

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