Rating: * * out of * * * *
Rated R for violence and gore, some language and sexuality.
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Nia Long, Jonathan Pryce, Ann Cusack.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Let me see this is what the millionth movie made about possession? Let me rephrase the movie title: The Exorcist 4: Stigmata, no nevermind. Although 'Stigmata' might as well be Exorcist 4 is has everything to do it, priest, possessed woman, ending about possession. It only lacks one thing: scares. The film was not scary but more freaky that jumps at you and makes you jump instead of being truly scared. It has a good plot and an original idea, but the way the movie is conceived and way the movie is directed is way over the edge with overblown visual style.
The movie starts in Brazil where Father Andrew Keirnan who is investigating a statue of mary crying blood. The loved priest of that town had died, which was what he was supposed to be looking at he however heard of the crying statue. Then we see a woman buying the cross-necklace which belonged to the now deceased preist. That woman is the mom of Frankie Page (Patricia Arqutte) whom gives Frankie the necklace. Frankie lives a normal life, she's a hairdresser, has a best friend and a boyfriend.
One night she's taking a bath, all of a sudden we see flashes of someone getting their hands nailed down to something, and we see frankies wrists have holes in them. She is rushed to the hospital and the doctors patch her all up and make her feel better. When the priests overseas hear about this they send Andrew in to investigate. When another attack comes upon Frankie in a subway a priest on the bus sees it whom tells the priests that he thinks she has stigmata. Andrew talks to the girl and asks her if she believes in God, she replies 'no'. He explains to her that only deeply religious people are inflicted with Stigmata. What is Stigmata you ask? Well it's when a person exhibits the wounds of Christ, in example holes through the wrists, gashes on the forehead, holes in feet, slash marks on back and finally a spear through the side.
Why does Frankie have Stigmata? Well I shouldn't tell cause it will ruin the movie, but it's really not a great plot twist in the movie or very surprising. The movie has what some will call 'MTV style editing' with rock music and fast flashes of stuff. What really got me was how much Patricia Arquette was miscast in the role of Frankie, however she does the best she can and does a good job of what she has to work with. Gabriel Byrne is the same thing and ironically plays Satan in the upcoming End Of Days.
The visual style of the film is good for a while, then you get kind of tired of it. Slow motion, close-ups of something someone touches. The movies direction was good, but was a little hokey at times. Screenplay for the film was well-conceived as well as the plot, but the movie isn't as good as the plot. It has some holes that leaves us asking questions and wanting to know stuff that it doesn't explain. Sadly the movie isn't too scary, some of the Stigmata attacks mostly the subway one is probably the scariest if even that of the film.
The movie is far from being bad it's just that it is a big let-down. Another problem with the movie was that it had too many endings and not enough substance to back them up. In fact some of the sequences and talky scenes were downright boring and un-interesting. The last thirty minutes of the movie are a waste and really waste the movie. The final climatic scene is quite un-scary and goes way to fast. If your in the mood for a good, loud thriller 'Stigmata' is for you. But if your like me and really don't feel like seeing an Exorcist 4 then don't. It has the style, the acting and the story however the substance is missing as well as it's impact on the audience. Go see 'The Sixth Sense' before anything, it has to be the best of the year!
Reviewed by Brandon Herring October 19, 1999. Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html
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