DOGMA (USA 1999, Dir. Kevin Smith, cert. 15) Cast: Loki - Matt Damon, Bartleby - Ben Affleck,   Bethany - Linda Fiorentino, Serendipity - Salma Hayek, Azrael -   Jason Lee, Silent Bob - Kevin Smith, Rufus - Chris Rock,   Voice of God - Alan Rickman, God - Alanis Morrissette.

This film does not deserve the wrath of right-wing reactionaries. There's been some hoo-haw in the States, apparently, because some   fundamentalist elements of Catholicism over there have taken exception to it. That's   their heart-felt opinion, obviously, but I think they probably don't realize how marginalized from mainstream Western society they've become. DOGMA is not blasphemous. Categorically. God is a positive force for good   throughout. DOGMA may be heresy, but really, do the Pro-Life faithful really think the Inquisition can be reformed as a cinema-picketing protest   group?

So, as to the film itself. It's actually pretty similar to a   straight-to-video action movie called THE PROPHECY (Christopher Walken as Archangel   Gabriel - less interesting than it sounds), but with laughs. Fiorentino, as   Bethany our heroine, is recruited by Rickman to stop a plan by fallen angels   Damon and Affleck to get back into Heaven. Some hokey made-it-up-on-the-spot mythology means that if thet get back into Heaven the universe comes to an end. Bethany perfects her look of incredulous disbelief over a series of encounters with pseudo-Biblical figures. These include an as yet   unknown 13th apostle called Rufus, a muse turned stripper called Serendipity and two prophets called Jay and Silent Bob.

The latter pair are the very same comedy characters that have   featured in all Smith's work to date, and again in his latest film provide most of the best moments. There's no point in spoiling any by detailing them here, but fans of previous appearances by the duo in CLERKS, MALL RATS and CHASING AMY can rest assured it's more of the same. The action   scenes, and there are some, are actually quite well handled which shows that   although some things remain fairly constant in this body of work, fortunately   other things have changed for the better. Maybe CLERKS was funnier, but as a piece of cinema this is Smith's best to date.

The only real drawback is the subject matter. While the right of this film to exist is eminiently defensible, some of the aspects of the plot really are too weak to justify. There is a lot of nonsense about   Bethany being related to Jesus and thus, "The Last Psion" (Everyone seems to get very excited about this).  And that's not to mention such touches as the "excremental" - a demon made out of the faeces of the crucified - which really sit uncomfortably in a film that is otherwise fairly   accomplished.

I wouldn't urge you to see DOGMA, but if you're interested in it then you can be fairly sure you won't regret shelling out for that   ticket. I doubt if you'll end up in Hell for you're trouble, either. Chris Denton.

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