Dogma

Maitland McDonagh started her review on the 1999 film “Dogma” by saying, “Make no mistake, Kevin Smith's talky, farcical comedy of cosmic errors is clever. But it's clever in a deeply juvenile way, like the high-IQ wiseass you knew in parochial school who rehearsed for a career in law by confounding priests with preposterous scenarios in which, technically speaking, it wasn't actually sinful to covet thy neighbor's wife or fail to honor the Sabbath.” Cardinal Glick, played by the late George Carlin, is preparing to start his stylish “Catholicism – Wow!” campaign, with the Buddy Christ and restoring luxuries, the spiritual get-out-of-jail-free cards that helped put the medieval church to shame.

Banished angels Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck), who’ve been suffering in Wisconsin, like that last one, have figured to pick up their luxuries at Glick’s Red Bank, NJ, church and flying back into God’s good hands. Sadly, the Almighty, played by singer Alanis Morissette, can’t afford to be overtaken on a small point. If the angels return to Heaven, the world will no longer be alive. That’s where Bethany, played by Linda Fiorentino, is called to stop Bartleby and Loki, helped by Serendipity the muse (Salma Hayek), Rufus the 13^th Apostle (Chris Rock), who was excluded because he’s black, and unlikely prophets Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith). Displayed against them are spiffy demon Azrael (Jason Lee), the roller blading Stygian Triplets and a really disgusting excrement demon.

McDonagh said, “Smith's sensibility owes plenty to comic books; grossness, grandiosity and easy irony are constantly elbowing each other for position. But he pulls off one heck of a trick, slipping more than a little preaching in between the sight gags and profane disquisitions on matters inappropriate.” Say what you will about his sense of humor, actual faith is rare enough in popular culture to make any viewing worthy of note.

This is one of Kevin Smith’s famous films that I think everyone should check out. It is really funny and if you can just take the jokes on the Catholic Church, then all is good. I really think you will have a hilarious time watching this, as I sure did. No worries, if you know Kevin Smith and his trademark style, then you will really like “Dogma.”

Look out next week where I talk about a film that I enjoy but everyone else bashed in “Salma Hayek Month.”