Constantine

After her sister rather uncharacteristically takes her own life by jumping from an hospital roof, detective “Dodson” (Rachel Weisz) determines to enlist the help of “Constantine” (Keanu Reeves) to help get to the bottom of things. He is renowned in the world of the menacingly spiritual, and so she hopes that he might be able to help her explain what drove her sibling to kill herself. It doesn’t take him, and his cabbie sidekick “Chas” (Shia LaBeouf) very long to realise that there are demonic activities afoot, and that none other than the angel Gabriel herself (Tilda Swinton) might have a hand in things. “Constantine” has been to hell, he has seen it’s atrocities and knows that he is destined to end up there himself unless he can convince God to intercede and allow him into heaven instead. To achieve this, he has dedicated his life to apprehending the malevolent spirits who cannot yet enter our world, but who can still cause mischief and mayhem, and despatch them back to their netherworld. Crucial to his detective work on this case is going to be the chair in which the last man in the city was electrocuted. This acts as a conduit to hell, but “Midnite” (Djimon Hounsou) is it’s keeper and he knows that to leave well alone is probably best. As their investigations deepen, both realise that they are at the centre of a plot that could see the entire planet fall under the control Satan - but can they thwart this plan in time? Both Reeves and Weisz are on good form with this well paced and creepy production that does take it’s time to get going, but once we get up an head of steam it’s a solid mystery with more emphasis on the story and the characters and less on the visual effects as it unfolds. Swinton features only sparingly, but both she and Hounsou add something to the sense of the menacing whilst LaBeouf brings a little light-heartedness to the plot with his amateur, but sometimes quite effective, contributions. As the battle lines become clearer for all, the film builds successfully to quite a gripping denouement that does ask a few questions about the nature of good, evil, heaven, hell, ambition and glass roofs. To be honest, it isn’t a film you are likely to recall for very long, but it is quite original and I did enjoy it.