Sexy Doomed Demon Fighters: Constantine.

[dangermousie]

Rented and saw Constantine today with Mr. Dangermousie. It's about someone who can see demons, angels et al. He also knows he is going to hell when he dies. And since he has lung cancer? That is going to be awfully soon. There is also a cop (Rachel Weitz) who comes seeking his help etc etc. Loved it. It's visually amazing, has nifty Catholic

Comments

[dangermousie]

Vive le difference!

I am actually staying away from this movie because it looks like a Bronte adaptation rather than Austen. Nothing wrong with Bronte, but the romantic landscapes and windswept hair would really put me off an Austen adaptation...

[equustel]

I actually didn't really like the heroine-girl. She just generally annoyed me because she was so "No, I don't believe all this b.s." then decides that she does and asks to be a part of it. That was a complete character 180 for me, and it didn't seem to work for me. /shrugs/

Well, she does mention that she "saw" the same things her twin sister did when they were little, but always was too afraid to admit it. She was basically in denial, and knew it. So it's a character growth when she's able to accept it throughout the course of the film and deal with it, instead of a contradiction - at least, it felt that way to me.

I'm very possibly biased, though, as I really like Angela as a character (and I rarely dig "the side girl" so much - she, however, I thought had a lot of class).

Anyway! Agree entirely with you about the film, dangermousie. I loved it when I first saw it in theatres - even participated in the burgeoning fandom that appeared immediately after - it's just a surprisingly solid and unusual genre flick. A fusion of a lot of

[dangermousie]

I really like Angela as a character

I do too. She is intelligent, she doesn't scream like a banshee and she has the great strength of will to refrain from jumping Keanu (white shirts are a thing of mine :P) Impressive.

[dangermousie]

I agree with what alizzy said about the heroine-girl. She was in repressive denial but she couldn't not accept it any longer. I mean, I am a sceptic about all that stuff, but if I did see that giant wings/talons thing, I'd definitely believe.

[syliasyliasylia]

I totally agree with you on your Constatine Review. I love when you say "the whole thing is a film noir seen through an anime lens"... lol, that's because the film is an adaptation of the Hellblazer comicbook (published by Vertigo comics IFFC) and I think it's a hell of an adaptation, the film captures the essence of the main character of the comic fantastically.

[thelana]

I think it's a hell of an adaptation, the film captures the essence of the main character of the comic fantastically.

Well aside from being not blonde, not british, less mean and a lot more faithful ;)

But I did like it. It has its own identity and it works. And as far as comic adaptions go, I have seen much worse.

It's just that I think that the comics are much more bleak and sardonic. I thought the story of the movie was beautiful and very stylish, but the message of the movies is much more nihilistic in my eyes.

Still, I really wish they would do a sequel :(

[syliasyliasylia]

Well aside from being not blonde, not british, less mean and a lot more faithful ;)
I agree to that, but despite the toning down of the character and the change of nationality (somwthing I can live with), I think that the movie is still quite loyal to the main themes of the comic book. And I have to day that the visual aspect of the film really impressed me.

I also agree with you, I'm usally afraid to see comic adaptations because the leap from comicbook lagage to cinematic laguage is not easy, some dialogues or shots which are perfect on the comic page turn into ridiculous on screen, or they lose the strength they had...etc.

And I'd also wisth there were a squel ;)

[dangermousie]

Now I am imagining the comic Constantine as a non-vampire Spike :P

The visuals are amazing. Just jaw-dropping. And I really like Constantine as this very weary noir hero. Even the cigarette is noir. I'd love a sequel, but I have no idea how well the movie did.

[iheartpotatoes]

Do you like the "nifty Catholic storylines" of movies? This critic disagrees:

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/cinema/?050307crci_cinema

[dangermousie]

New Yorker never likes anything. Unless it's a movie composed entirely from off center shots of grimy people occasionally speaking monosyllables in an obscure language :P

I have no idea if it's really faithful to Catholic stuff (not Catholic) though probably not. They certainly had an emphasis on intent over good works which struck me as more Protestant than Catholic. But hey, it all worked for me :)

[ange_louise]

Visually Constantine was amazing, and I really liked the concept, but the story just left me going 'WTF is happening?'. I don't need to be spoon-fed a plot-line, but it helps if it actually makes sense. Tilda Swinton was a brilliant Gabriel,she just has a pale, androgynous look that worked really well. Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weiss are very pretty together too.

I'm not sure if I want to see the new P&P. I want to like Keira Knightley, but she's got this pout and a weird lispy way of saying her s's that really annoy me. I don't know that I could sit through a whole movie of it.

[dangermousie]

The story made sense to me, so I rather liked it. I mean, the specific means of defeating specific demons I didn't know about, but then I was just "oh, so you get rid of demon X by trapping it in a mirror. Fine."

Now I want to read some fic :P

Yeah, Tilda Swinton was great.

Yeah, KK not my cup of tea.