Stigmata

Rating:
Summary: Fantasic...
Review: I think, this movie is one of the best I've seen in the last year! And the soundtrack is also very good....mystic!

Rating:
Summary: <STIGMATA>
Review: STIGMATA A REALLY GOOD MOVIE ITS BEEN AWHILE SINCE A MOVIE LIKE THIS CAME OUT POSESSED & ALL I LIKE IT MORE THAN 'END OF DAYS' FOR SURE ITS HAS MORE TRUTH & HISTORY THAN WE ALL THINK JUST SHOWN A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM A UPDATED POINT OF VIEW I AM GOING TO OWN THIS MOVIE SOON...

Rating:
Summary: NO
Review: Even though the Catholic Church is evil, this movie over did it. It made no sense, the ending fell apart, and it sweats the Exorcist(if you haven't seen that, see it). In the words of Jay Sherman the Critic, "It Stinks!"

Rating:
Summary: one of the best movies i've ever seen!!!
Review: stigmata is a strange movie....u'll love it! it scares when necessary and it tells about an evil possession. good special effects and a fantastic performance make this film GREAT! believe me...u'll get afraid watching it but u have to do that. much better than ''the exorcist''and so i can say it's the top. a very good work that must been remembered forever.. i'd rate it more than 5 stars but i can't and so ......

Rating:
Summary: the good far outweighs the bad here
Review: I confess that I went to see this movie because Patricia Arquette had a major role in it. And while I thought she did a very good job in Stigmata, the message of the movie made me see it a second time. This is not a horror movie...not an Exorcist remake. There were some major holes in this movie, but its message and the visuals overshadow the weaknesses. What's right about it: The acting is more than adequate(Byrne & Arquette). The overall message that organized religion is often very self-serving for very human factions is undeniable! Stigmata very effectively makes the point that buildings and group of stodgy old men aren't a necessary part of your relationship with any higher power you might recognize. Visually, this movie is quite often stunning. What's wrong about it: I felt that the movie would have been better served with a classical soundtrack(i.e.- Wagner) than with the modern techno tracks that were present throughout the movie. It would have been much creepier with an orchestra or violins. There were times when it looked more like a music video than a major motion picture. There is a gaping hole in the middle of the story. I can't say much without giving something away, but what you eventually find out is wrong with Frankie(Arquette) is inconsistant with the scene in the middle of the movie where her character tries to seduce Byrne. In conclusion, it is certainly worth overlooking the flaws to get the deeper message. If you're not into messages, don't worry. Stigmata is graphic and Patricia Arquette is stunning.

Rating:
Summary: Strong film... weak ending
Review: So I finally get to see this in the cheap seats. Patricia Arquette-- yum. Gabriel Byrne-- okay, well, every woman I know thinks he's the bees' knees. Jonathan Pryce really CAN play a scary guy. Interesting soundtrack, if a little on the silly side (are you really going to hear pop electronica at any club whose main piece of decor is chain link fence, one wonders?). Very loose basing on factual events surrounding Nag Hammadi, and I mean VERY loose (Brazilian priest yes, possessed stigmatic no). And despite this odd wave of religious-themed media these days, film, at least, seems to be taking a more intelligent approach to it than television. Instead of mindless pap like Touched by an Angel and Providence, Stigmata seems to be drawing from the Blatty/Friedkin axis, and that cannot ever be a bad thing (well, okay, except for Exorcist II). You know the plot, right? Atheist suddenly finds herself plagued with Christ's wounds, speaking in dead languages, and writing on the walls of her apartment. Actually, it kind of reminds me of a sexy blond John Denver in Oh, God. Happily, Byrne is a lot more attractive than George Burns was.

Once again, I walked out of the theater with a sense of underwhelment that stemmed only from the film's last ten minutes, just like in Sleepy Hollow. Stigmata is a stylized, slick, well-processed tour-de-force right up until the end, where instead of wrapping things up nicely (despite the fact that things COULD have been wrapped up nicely quite easily, in any one of five or six different ways), suddenly the screen goes black and we get some overlay text about Nag Hammadi. All well and good, but what happened? Do Gabe and Patty get married, go off, and make babies? Does Patty kick off and get a really nice funeral? Does Gabe ever actually finish getting the haircut Patty starts to give him? Does Patty's not-so-significant other get jealous and kill them both in a fit of rage? And is that stupid statue really a miracle? All this and more... we dunno. Still, I'd prefer the loose ends rather than Sleepy Hollow's artificial tying-together, if not by much.

(Note: I have been told by others who saw the DVD version that it contains an alternate ending that wraps everything up... so you may want to shell out the extra for the DVD version.)

Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Visual and Emotional Experience
Review: Stigmata is by far one of the best movies I've seen- it is really incredible in comparison with other movies that try to achieve its success.

This movie is strange, and sometimes even slightly sinister in its portrayal of a woman named Frankie Paige in New York (Patricia Arquette) who is afflicted with the Stigmata, or the wounds of Christ. An open minded priest (Gabriel Byrne) ends up meeting with her, and is extremely surprised to find that this claim of Stigmata occurences is true, despite the fact that Frankie doesn't go to church. In fact, Frankie isn't very religious at all, and lives the shallow, hip life of a partying hairstylist. The contrast between the Church and the life of this young woman is brilliant and stunningly effective.

The rest of the movie is spent discovering more about the situation that Frankie is in, and the possible implications it could have to the church, and to the religion itself. In the end this movie is a deeply thought provoking exploration of religion itself, how everything that is accepted by the church may not be the truth, and how what many of us follow could be completely backwards. It really makes you think.

This already strong movie is further enhanced with the visual effects- so much so that you could buy this movie just for the incredible scenes. All of the wounds of Christ shown in the film are very realistically, enough so that many squeamish people may have to turn away from the screen during these moments. The the way the wounds are shown to occur (chaotically, and in sudden flashses) is incredible, adding to the suspense. Also, in the climax of the film there is one particularly rewarding scene which you might just have to watch over and over (it's too cool!)

This movie is definitely and incredible achievment in filmaking, with a great and intellectual plot expressed with beauty. Some people may not like it as much if they are sensitive to graphic scenes, or if they don't like content that has to do with religion. However, for the majority of people who see it, this movie is a greatly rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Rating:
Summary: Did I miss something?
Review: This is an awful movie. One cliche shot after another, cobbled together to resemble an MTV video. Oh, and then there's the evil Catholic church, resorting to murder to surpress dissent. Please. You could drive a truck through the holes in the plot. Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting movie for open minded
Review: Not a bad movie if you are not fanatic about exact word of bible and recognize Jewish agnostic is very early part of christianity.

Too much MTV junk for a topic you need to keep a straight face. For a semi interllectual hybrid between serious theology quest and today's brainless pop culture, Too much fury about this movie is utterly, utterly too much.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies!
Review: If you are a devote church going individual, this movie is NOT for you. It will challenge everything you believe. Personally, it made me stand up and say "I'm not the only one who thinks this!". (Well, I really didn't stand up, but you get the point). I think that both the directors and the actors performed magnificently. I have watched this movie about 10-15 times, and I don't get sick of it. Whoever you are, plan on this movie making you think!