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Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Constantine by Francis Lawrence, 2005 (R)


With Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, The Matrix Revolutions), Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea, The Whisleblower, The Bourne Legacy, 360, Dream House, Agora), Shia LaBeouf (Nymphomaniac, Lawless, The Company You Keep), Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Simone, Beautiful Creatures), Gavin Rossdale, Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Michael Clayton, I am Love), Peter Stormare (Chocolat)

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night -- an unconventional quirk that makes him somewhat of an eccentric personality in a world ruled largely by logic. When a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide, she wants definitive proof of the cause of death. But the answers might only come with blind faith.

Another theory about how good and evil function and play with us on earth. Funnily the two movies, "Constantine" and the one reviewed previously "Sin Noticias De Dios", are very close in some aspect, such as the connection on earth through messengers on the paradise and hell, and the invasion of earth by any of the party. I like the inventiveness that the movie has on how they manifest. Also, I believe I watched this movie because I was curious on Keanu Reeves new role after the Matrix, and discovered (fell in love with) Rachel Weisz. The relationship between the two is funny and at the same time really works. I believe that after that, Rachel Weisz always had this roles of women charmful and a little nuts somehow, powerful and with beautiful souls. Ok, my mistake, I probably saw this movie after About a boy and was already madly in love with her... Anyway, its a good movie, and the intervention of Tilda Swinton at the end is making it an apotheosis.

watch trailer:

Don't Tempt Me (Sin Noticias De Dios) by Agustín Díaz Yanes, 2001


with Penélope Cruz, Victoria Abril, Demián Bichir, Fanny Ardant, Gael García Bernal, Gemma Jones, Bruno Bichir, Elena Anaya, Peter McDonald, Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Cristina Marcos, Alicia Sanchez, Luis Tosar, Elsa Pataky

A concussive brain injury could spell curtains for a boxer named Manny (Demian Bichir). But no sooner does a priest begin to spout the boxer's last rites than a couple of supernatural agents -- an angel from heaven (Victoria Abril) and a waitress from hell (Penelope Cruz) -- are sent to vie for his soul.

I came across this movie when it came out, and was a little doubtful about the story. I love the actors, which was my main motivation to watch it. It happened to have a very ironic sense of humor and an interesting approach to the balance on earth between good and evil, god and its creatures. The name of the movie in English should say "Without news from God". The main departure point is that god is a kid who created good and evil, and life on earth, but its creatures became smarter than him and decided to take over the rules on earth (which is based on free choice of humans) and change the balance between good and evil, when god is tired and decides to retire for a while. The game between Victoria Abril and Penelope Cruz is irresistible and attaching, and make the movie something else than just a interpretative tableau of religion.