Dogma **** (1999, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Kevin Smith) – Classic Movie Review 393

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star as renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and re-enter Heaven, thus undoing the fabric of the universe, in the brilliant 1999 comedy film Dogma. 

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star as renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and re-enter Heaven, thus undoing the fabric of the universe. It’s up to an abortion clinic worker called Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) to try to save the existence of humanity, with the help of stoner, slacker prophets Jay and Silent Bob, along with Rufus (Chris Rock), the 13th Apostle.

With this great concept as a starting point, this is not your average comedy, then. In fact it’s a brilliant one from an on-fire writer-director Kevin Smith, who can’t resist (and why should he?) casting himself as Silent Bob, along with Jason Mewes as his less-silent buddy Jay. Needless to say, Smith and Mewes get loads of laughs.

Damon and Affleck are on top form as the constantly chattering, bickering, bantering, arguing Loki and Bartleby, both actors amusing and charming. Fiorentino is appealing and effective, and even Rock is funny.

With hilarious appearances by Alan Rickman as a splendidly spikey and supercilious Metatron, the voice and messenger of God, and Alanis Morissette as a surprising God herself, this inspired, intelligent, irreverent movie is funny throughout and often hysterical.

Smith’s satirical screenplay is entertaining, provocative, clever and likeable, and so is everything else about the movie. It’s a unique one-off. Unfortunately, there were never going to be any sequels as it fared badly at the box office, though not too badly as it took $30 million at the US box office. It did much less well in the UK, taking only £2 million after extensive publicity.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 393

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