DOGMA

DOGMA (1999) ***

Reviewed 10/4/99

Kevin Smith is like a big kid. His humor is that of a sophisticated juvenile's. He grew up idolizing Star Wars and loves comic books, having also written a few. He also has a cult following, mostly composed of teenagers, college students, and Smith's own fellow adolescent-minded grownups. Smith is hilarious in person and in writing, but when he tries to be earnest and moralize, that is when he goes wrong. Kevin Smith is a better writer than director, and he'll be the first to tell you that. That might also be part of the reason why his moralizing comes across as so heavy-handed. Great directors show us their theses instead of having the characters sermonize them. This was true in the overrated Chasing Amy, and it is true for Dogma as well.

That is not to say Smith's message is a bad one. In Dogma, Smith tells us that problems arise when people believe beyond any doubt that their insight into God and God's desires is superior to anyone else's. Basically, dogmatism is bad. Changing the minds of the dogmatic is virtually impossible, and since the dogmatic believe that they have special insight, they also know what is best for you, whether you like it or not. This is not exactly a new message in movies (see Inherit the Wind), but I have no problems with recycling old ones, particularly since Dogma's protesters are proving Smith's point. Smith's own problem with delivering this message is that he beats us over the head with it like we are reading a Dogma for Dummies book. But this is Smith's personality, and his simplistic views neglect such adult issues as how does one interpret the Bible (or Koran, etc.) correctly (or if there even is a correctly) and how one settles disputes of heretofore dogmatic concerns.

The story concerns abortion clinic worker Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) being chosen by Voice of God, Metatron (Alan Rickman), to prevent the destruction of the universe by two fallen angels, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Angel of Death, Loki (Matt Damon). Along the way, forgotten thirteenth Apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock), stripper muse Serendipity (Salma Hayek), and slacker duo Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith himself) come to Bethany's aid. Fallen muse, Azrael (Jason Lee), proves to be the behind-the-scenes manipulator for all the chicanery.

The mostly logical but convoluted plot only exists as an excuse for the jokes and to make Smith's points, and in itself, has little dramatic momentum. Among the supposedly outrageous claims made by the film is that God is a woman, Jesus was black, and the Bible was written by a bunch of racist, misogynistic white men. Of course, Kevin Smith does not necessarily subscribe to these ideas himself. They are a metaphor for the fears and insecurities of the dogmatic. Smith says as much in his amusing disclaimer that precedes the movie. When Harvey Weinstein asked Smith to put it into the film before Cannes, Smith thought it might give validation to protesters' claims that the film was sacrilegious, but then he rethought it and turned the disclaimer into a joke.

The film's humor is uneven. Some parts are very funny as when Bethany goes for a fire extinguisher when Metatron makes a burning-bush kind of entrance. But many of the film's jokes just bomb, as in virtually anything involving Salma Hayek's Serendipity (excepting a Home Alone joke). Also, some of the jokes can be seen coming from a mile away. Still, Smith keeps the zingers coming at a sufficiently rapid pace, making his usual references to Star Wars and one to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Among the actors, Fiorentino and Rickman stand out by far. Fiorentino virtually by herself gives the film emotional weight. Damon and Affleck are fairly lackluster, and Lee is downright flat, showing none of his usual charisma. Rock and Hayek exist in the film pretty much only as comic relief as are Mewes and Smith. But the latter duo fare much better because Jay and Silent Bob, who recur in all of Smith's movies, are much more in line with Smith's brand of humor. Mewes especially shines. Bud Cort, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo, Guinevere Turner, and Alanis Morissette all make cameo appearances.