Rating: 
Summary: Unrigtfully panned by critics
Review: Me and two of my friends rented the DVD while spending the night at one of our houses. It was really scary, but after it ended we had a really great, long conversation about religion (especially after viewing the alternate ending) You can enjoy it if you're superficially watching it for a scare, or really studying it. Some of the themes are atheism, priests not being able to be with someone they love, and practices of the Catholic church. This is one you can watch more than once and never be bored, I know because I bought the video!
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful. Mysterious. An all around great movie.
Review: This movie kept me hooked all the way through. Some people may say it is confusing, but that's because it all comes together in the end. They must not realize it. There is a connection with the crying Mary and Father Alamedia's death. What seems jumbled is wound together to perfection in the end. I had no idea what the cause of her wounds were. It was very surprising, but do you think I'm gonna tell you... heh, I don't think so ;-) Go rent or buy it. It'll be more than worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hmmmmm...
Review: I don't know what I thought of this movie. It was kind of complicated if you ask me. They tried to fit too many plots into one movie, and it didn't really come together like it should have. I mean, now that I think of it, I really did not care about any of the characters either. They just weren't that convincing. For what it was, it was good. One things for sure though...it was not scary at all. Disturbing, but not scary. It tried to be "The Exorcist" in every way possible. It wasn't really accurate either. Someone who does not believe in God cannot recive the stigmata. It is a gift for very religious people. Plus, who ever heard of a priest that went out to disprove miracles? There are reasons that I gave this one five stars. I liked the wild cinematography and the special effects. I guess that was it, really. Rent it and see what you think. Should raise alot of controversy among Catholics.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful movie, a very pleasant surprise
Review: OK, I guess I love religious suspense type books and movies, but this one surpassed my expectations from the trailers to end up entertaining and captivating me. The theme of the lost gospel were enthralling, and there are strongly opposed viewpoints on this issue in real-life, but the storyline was nonetheless strong and thought-provoking. If the Catholic church has rejected the lost gospel, we can each form our own conclusions about why. I personally believe they reject what does not support their strong beliefs to the point where they will find something to prove the lost gospel "invalid" or "untrue" so they can dismiss it. So I enjoyed this plotline immensely. The love and affection between Frankie and Father Kiernan was so moving. It reminded me how loving Christ was and that his message to all of us was, Love. ...Not celibacy, not hatred of other religions, not religious persecution, LOVE. Cool movie. A lot of things to think about.
Rating: 
Summary: How About Some Class?
Review: There's been enough commentary for both sides of this film. I would have to agree that it is gravely misinformed when it comes to "lost gospels" and the real intention of the Catholic Church. I assure you that the Catholic Church's intention is not to "hide the truth" from us common folk; and I also assure you that the Church does not accept "lost gospels" because they show evidence contrary to the Church's belief, and in turn, the Church is in fear of its inability to stay in "power." Investigations on these new findings (such as the gospel of St. Thomas, the Dead Sea Scrolls-which have been deemed authentic by the Catholic Church, the book of Mormon, etc.) are done with incredible and tedious detail and are deeply analyzed. So, for the Church not to recognize the authenticity of a lost gospel means that they specifically found something that suggested it was not real. And the weird love relationship between the priest and the "atheist." Puh-lease. Sworn to celibacy and that easily tempted? God save us if our Catholic priests were that lecherous and vulnerable.... On the DVD and film itself - I found the clip titled, "Frankie and Steve Get It On" unnecessary, and might I add, very pervertedly titled. Where the makers of this film serious at all? Arquette's character named after St. Francis of Asissi? Pass the cheese, please. I'm sure St. Francis is honored to have a "devout atheist" named after him. Endnote: a disgraceful and twisted portrayal of a beautiful religion, not to mention its inaccuracy of portraying an exorcism.
Rating: 
Summary: Could Be Called Snoremata
Review: If you've seem the trailer, you've seen the film, not much more happens and all of it boring. The possession stuff is interesting, but as soon as the heroine is OK again you may as well go to sleep. The tepid attack on the Catholic Church is the films only saving grace, but sadly, the Catholics I know weren't even insulted.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks Integrity
Review: An ambitious project that falls short because it tries too hard to be more than it is, "Stigmata," directed by Rupert Wainwright proffers itself on one hand as a scholarly endeavor, while on the other it gives way to blatant sensationalism. Writers Tom Lazarus and Rick Ramage use the pretext of examining the suppression of the Gospel of Thomas to weave an unlikely story of a young woman, Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette), an atheist living in Pittsburgh, who is afflicted with the stigmata. Ultimately, the Vatican sends in Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) to investigate. Kiernan is not only a priest, but a scientist; his job is to travel the world and document alleged miracles or supernatural occurrences with overtones that may have some bearing on the Universal Church. It's an interesting premise, somewhat engrossing up to a point, and something of a mystery; enough, in fact, that the writers should have quit while they were somewhat ahead. Instead they attempted to add more intrigue to the mystery by introducing subjective ruminations concerning corrupt political machinations of the Church into the story, specifically in the guise of one Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathan Pryce), who seems bent on keeping the "truth" about the "real" teachings of Jesus hidden away. And why? To protect the Church. It asserts that the Church is more interested in icons and wealth than it is about evangelizing the Word of The Living God, and it's just not so. The disturbing thing about it is that it's told in such a way as to have the audience believe that there is some basis in truth to it all, including a brief epilogue that attempts to give it the credibility of documentation. All it does, however, is take a somewhat entertaining piece of fiction down to the level of tabloid exploitation that casts a pall over the entire project. Which is a shame, because taken at face value and purely as entertainment, this is a decent movie, with notable performances, especially by Arquette and Byrne. Pryce unfortunately doesn't come off quite as well, but it has nothing to do with his ability as an actor; it's more a case of the messenger taking one for the team. There was really little he could do with his character, as it was written to be a means to an end, inundated with cliche and totally lacking in credibility. It's a shame that an actor of Pryce's stature should have been shackled with such a role, though presumably he was not forced to do it; to which one can only say that even good actors occasionally make bad choices. Besides Lazarus and Ramage, director Wainwright is culpable as well, for attempting to sell a story of unsound (and unfounded) theological postulations to an unsuspecting audience (but then again, that's his job). But it lands him in some pretty murky waters; better he should have stayed within the waters of Spielberg and "Jaws," rather than make a shallow imitation of "The Exorcist" minus the integrity of that film. In the final analysis, "Stigmata" is a movie about faith and truth that is inherently dishonest, which makes it nothing less than contradictory at it's core. Performance wise and visually, it has it's moments; unfortunately, all of the positive aspects of the film are denigrated by the message. And that's a shame. Wainwright and his writers blind-sided themselves simply by trying to be too clever. Hopefully in future endeavors they will have more respect for their audience.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars are not enough for a movie like STIGMATA!
Review: This movie was brilliantly done with a great plot that sends out a terrific message. For you parents out there who do not let your children watch "Stigmata" because it might be too scary or its evil, think again. This movie is not scary at all, and this movie sends out a message about faith in God. This movie is not about scaring the audience and all about Satan, this movie is a great movie about faith and courage between a priest and a woman undergoing Stigmata: a powerful force that causes one to experience the same wounds as Jesus Christ did while sacrifising himself to save us. This movie is worth 10 STARS and should be know as a "great movie" for years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Title says it all.
Review: This movie is well shot. Plenty of foreshadowing helps make this a very enjoyable film to watch. Stigmata is a supernatural suspense story about good, evil, and faith. Frankie Paige played by Patricia Arquette is a hair stylist who has no strong religious convictions until odd things start happening to her after she's given a rosary by her mother: she begins speaking with another person's voice; unknown and unseen forces start to attack her; and she develops stigmata. Some people believe that a holy miracle has been visited on Frankie, though no one can say why. A Cardinal from the Vatican played by Jonathan Pryce sends a priest, Father Andrew Kiernan enjoyably portrayed by Gabriel Byrne, to investigate Frankie and her condition; after getting a first-hand look, Father Andrew finds himself less concerned with whether Frankie's wounds are a legitimate miracle and more concerned with saving her life.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars is not enough
Review: This is the greatest, most thought provoking movie I have seen in a long time. As eerie as the Exorcist and as enlightening as The Greatest Story Ever Told. Patricia Arquette is fantastic as the athiest who learns faith the hard way. Gabriel Byrne is terrific as the struggling priest. The hypocrasy of the Catholic Church is shown and how throughout this magnificent and dark exploration of what it means to be a true believer.
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