HeavensMee Reviews

Constantine (2005)

Dark, rich film (no spoilers)

[8/10 · 10 February 2005]

Wow. Trite, I know, but the word captures how I feel about Keanu's performance in "Constantine". "Wow" describes the whole movie. Wow.

I just arrived home from an advanced screening in Toronto. I wasn't prepared for how adult Keanu's newest film is. With John Constantine's birth taking place in the pages of the "Hellblazer" comic book, I was expecting at least some comicesque touches to the movie adaptation. There were none, with the exception perhaps of the darkness -- literally and spiritually -- that I've heard the comic book is beloved for. Leaving the theatre so impressed with the script, the performances, the cinematography, the special effects and, of course, the direction, I was perplexed as to why Warner Bros. hadn't marketed the product more to the adult moviegoer.

Without giving away any spoilers, it's my opinion that Keanu gives one of his best performances as John Constantine. Even more laudable, he gives his most natural portrayal I've seen yet in any of his roles. His acting wasn't the least bit forced, he didn't ever reveal any subconscious discomfort. He was sublime. His world weariness. His sardonic delivery. His walk and posture. I don't care about the comic book character. Keanu was John Constantine.

Before I say anything about the film's other actors, I want to share my belief that Keanu's mastery of this role -- especially his emotion-charged scenes near the end of the story -- herald a new direction for his career. I'm not referring to an increase in his earning power, but an escalation in respect from the movie critics who haven't always been kind to him. Undeniable, wide-spread recognition within the industry of Keanu's higher plateau of acting. I wish I knew what new lessons and insights helped Keanu unleash the powerful actor within himself for this dark role. Francis Lawrence's direction may have been a factor, but after being brought to tears at Keanu's stunning performance in the most pivotal scenes of the movie, I think Mr. Reeves must have reached a deeper place in his soul and consciousness to serve up such a perfect disease-ridden, spiritually bankrupt, hard-bitten loner like Constantine.

To sum up the performances of Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Max Baker and Tilda Swinton: wonderful. The female lead was confident in her delivery: strong when needed, vulnerable at times, conveying a deep pool of emotions with her eyes. Her second on-screen pairing with Keanu is far better than her first. A great script and excellent direction makes a big difference. Shia gives a solid performance that promises more meaty roles ahead for this young actor. Max Baker. What can I say except "superb"? His facial twitches, eye contortions and laboured breathing are subtly delivered and perfect. The very talented Tilda is a work of art, thanks to her heavenly bone structure and feather-light performance. Warner Bros. is done well by this talented ensemble, lead by the no-longer-so-inscrutable Keanu Reeves.

The Good Girl (2002)

A Good, Small Movie

[7/10 · 26 August 2002]

I saw `The Good Girl' on Sunday. I ended up liking it more than I initially thought I would after the first half hour. It's a good, small, quiet film. Viewers won't have to worry that special effects will distract them from the film's message, which I understood to be about people's selfishness that comes from a narrow focus on our own problems, as well as about the commonality of humanity, in that we all deal with many of the same issues. However, I was a bit distracted by Jennifer Aniston's change in gait and stance, which I read was accomplished through use of weights hanging from her arms. And her facial expressions and diction at first seemed almost a caricature of what a Southerner should look and sound like. John C. Reilly, who plays her husband, gave a more convincing performance. His natural-sounding Texan accent gives no hint that the actor was actually born in Chicago. Mr. Reilly is a great character actor, one that in my eyes stole the show from Ms. Aniston, notwithstanding her decent performance as an unhappy wife trapped in a stagnant marriage and town. Towards the end of the film, I felt that the actress had eased into the role and had convinced me that there were strong emotions brewing below the surface. I thought that the best part of the performances from the two leads and their co-star, Tim Blake (who played the stereotypical good ol' boy, Bubba), came at the end of their sorry tale. The audience I was part of seemed touched by the poignant ending. All in all, `The Good Girl' satisfies the desire for a good story without all the explosions and SFX magic that are part of so many films these days.

Serving Sara (2002)

It Could've Been So Much More

[5/10 · 26 August 2002]

I watched `Serving Sara' on Saturday. I wish I could say it was a very funny film. I wish I could say that Matthew Perry doesn't look unhealthy for most of the movie. I wish I could say that Elizabeth Hurley was a good comedic actress. I can say that it's clear even when she's acting that Ms. Hurley is a very classy lady. She's also obviously comfortable in front of the camera. However, her use of exaggerated hip swaying and mouth expressions isn't effective in carrying the jokes. When I think of popular actresses who are naturally funny, I think of Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan. Both these ladies utilize their eyes and whole faces in delivering their comedic lines. As for the very likeable Matthew, the circles under his eyes and his drawn face made it hard for me to focus on his performance. His delivery was similar to his acting in `Friends', but in `Serving Sara' his appearance throughout the whole movie seemed subdued. Perhaps he lacked gusto due to the health crisis he was battling at the time of filming or maybe he was directed to be less `Chandler', and more streetwise and scrappy. As for the other two main co-stars, Vincent Pastore basically plays his character in `The Sopranos'; I couldn't detect any difference between his movie performance and television persona. Cedric `The Entertainer' caught my attention with his on-the-verge-of-a-heart-attack performance as the boss with a short temper and high blood pressure. However, his schtick ran out of steam rather quickly. I became unimpressed after his second remark about `that bitch' revealed a lack of original dialogue. Still, if you're a Matthew Perry fan, as I am, the movie isn't an entire waste. The actor's good nature shines through, even when his role calls for him to be something of a jaded character. I had a few chuckles at some of Matthew's more physical scenes and got to watch him for an hour and a half, so I left the theatre with a smile on my face.