DOGMA (1999) ***1/2 No wonder they were protesting! This film is a glorious flappy-dog howitzer-attack in the battle for spiritual freedom and enlightenment. Unburdened by the sort of negative schlock typically associated with art attacking dogmatic schlock that benefits by the comparison this obscenity-driven, tongue-in-cheek nod to the glories (if not necessarily veracity) of Catholic dogma is alternately spectacular, hysterical, provocative and...yes....poetic truth. Matt Damon as the Angel of Death is casting for the ages. Chris Rock, Linda Fiorentino, wonderful. Alanis Morrisette wraps things up nicely as God smelling the flowers, and executing maladroit cartwheels on the grass. Alan Rickman...the acting is first rate, and the screen play extraordinary. Does the plot require too many leaps of faith not involving matters of faith? Yeah. Did the editor smoke a fatty with the long-haired prophets and let a few scenes roll by that are flat? So? Multi-leveled satirical allegory and satire destined to launch a thousand grad theses!
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