Constantine

John Constantine--not British? Shocking. Still, you pick Keanu Reeves to play the part, it's better that he not even try to use a British accent. "Constant" cigarette action, that's imperative, and the filmmakers obviously recognized that, thank Heavens. Making it the raison d'être of the film, well, that was unexpected. Not that I've read the comic books in a long time. Perhaps there is a sub-plot wherein Constantine is dying of lung cancer from prolonged cigarette use. He's a bit pissed to be leaving Earth so early, seeing as he's intimately acquainted with Hell and has no desire to return any time soon. Mixed in with that is a woman who can see and hear the same evil beings he can and actually wants to go to Hell to save her twin sister. Crazy girl, and he thinks so, too. Seeing as Hell is the main topic of conversation in this flick, expect dark, bleak and fiery. It's also definitely not for the squeamish or kids under the age of, say, 16. For those who do like this kind of stuff (me!), the film is surprisingly tight -- tightly written (almost sparse, so you have to pay attention to all that's said), tightly directed (someone story-boarded like Hell), and, surprise surprise, well acted. Rachel Weisz is the crazy woman, and she's always great, her sincerity always in-your-face. Reeves is fine with hints of what makes him special. But Peter Stormare. Ah! He's Lucifer, played with glee and camp, without losing any hint of the obvious terror of the Devil incarnate. He's got maybe 5 minutes on screen towards the end. Watch it for him.

year: 2005
length: 121 min.
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360486/combined