Review of Constantine (2005) by Filipeneto — 19 Dec 2020

Based on a comic book, the kind we only heard about after seeing the film, it brings us the story of John Constantine, an unusual hero who lives with one foot in our world and the other foot in Hell.

The script weaves a simple story: the fight between Good and Evil is turned into a kind of bet between God and the Devil, in which the souls of Humanity are played and in which they maintain a kind of "balance" in that neither is really beating the other. John Constantine, a man who attempted suicide and survived, unintentionally becomes one of the "referees" of that balance, going able to send back to Hell all the demons who came to our world in order to cause trouble. However, and precisely because he tried to kill himself, it is Hell that awaits Constantine when he dies, an idea that terrifies him and that he describes as "going to a prison where you sent most of the prisoners before". Thus, when he discovers that the Devil's son is trying to use a medium girl to reach our world and provoke the Armageddon, he realizes that if he is able to prevent it, he can acquire divine forgiveness and the desired passport to Paradise.

Personally, I like movies with themes like this. They're appealing, although the film quite subverts the religious and spiritual themes it addresses. Without really being a horror movie, it works well as a techno-thriller with a dark background and urban Gothic atmosphere, which is occasionally dotted with intense and disturbing scenes. Unfortunately, I felt that the film fell apart in the last third part and the ending turns out to be disappointing and much weaker than the rest. The film, in some specific moments, seems to make small nods to other cinema works such as "Exorcist", which we can see as homage or, on the other hand, as influences that it received. Perhaps the truth is more or less halfway between one thing and another.

After "Matrix" and "Devils Advocate", Keanu Reeves' choice for the protagonist seems quite natural. To some extent, he picked up and mixed elements and mannerisms that he used when he brought Neo and Kevin Lomax to life in the films I mentioned. But that was not a bad idea: Reeves shone in these works and manages to dominate this film very well and to live up to what is proposed by his character. Reeves gave Constantine a sullen, melancholy, pessimistic and misanthropic personality, which gradually humanizes as he helps and cares about Angela, a character effectively executed by Rachel Weisz, in one of the most interesting works of this actress, who became famous for her appearance in "The Mummy" trilogy and for her work in "Constant Gardener". Alongside these actors, we also have the good performances of Djimon Hounsou and Peter Stormare. Who really shouldn't keep good memories of the film is Shia LaBeouf, extremely boring and uninteresting, and Tilda Swinton, who transformed an archangel full of celestial authority into a kind of androgynous and morally twisted creature, unpleasant from all points of view.

Technically, the film bets heavily on CGI and visual effects, with very good results considering the time it was made and the available budget. The look of the demons in this film is something impressive, repulsive and grotesque, as also the way Hell is portrayed, in an eternal storm of fire and pain. Also notable for its realism and majesty is the brief glimpse of Paradise. Struggle or exorcism scenes have been thought out in detail and the effects collaborate widely. Cinematography is good and puts us in a nocturnal, dark and decadent neo-noir universe, where darkness combines well with a scenario full of cheap furniture, kitsch decoration and neon signs, and with urban sound effects like screams, ambulance sirens, car sounds. The soundtrack, signed by Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt, is deep and excellent.