Stigmata

Rating:
Summary: Dark & foreboding
Review: A strange film, with a very interesting concept. If you're devoutly religious, then you'll know what the stigmata is. I've never heard of it, and I found I learned quite a lot - what the stigmata's are, where they appear etc. And finding out some cool trivia - every crucifix, whether on a necklace or in a church, is technically 'wrong'. Christ did not have the nails driven through his palms, cos the nails would just rip right through the flesh. Instead, the nails were driven through the wrists, which is more correct. And this is where the marks appear on Patricia Arquette.

Who, by the way, is a great actress! Apart from her, I could have seen Cate Blanchett in this role, but Patricia Arquette plays the part of Frankie almost too well. It's very realistic, and you have to remind yourself it's just a film.

The beginning credits have some very cool scenes, which is a quick look at what Frankie is like. Her life is full of clubbing, hairdressing, and guys. And she's in no way religious. Kinda obvious what's going to happen, considering the best part of the film is about religion.

Some of the scenes featuring flashbacks to the stigmatas/Christ are very realistic and too scary to watch. They happen very abruptly, and in the weirdest places, for no apparent reason. It's almost painful to watch Patricia Arquette act out receiving the stigmatas.

I found this film quite good, and learned a bit from it. You can die from having all 5 stigmatas - nails through feet & wrists, the crown of thorns, and finally, the fatal spear through the side. But watch from behind a cushion.

Rating:
Summary: Never has God seemed so COOL!!!
Review: BREATHTAKING comes to mind when I think of this non stop thrill ride of biblical proportions! Not since Gone with the Wind have I seen better character development and a sly wit that can only be compared to the late Hugh Grant in "4 Weddings and a Funeral"

I was giggling in my seat the whole way through, as this cinematic masterpiece took me, shook me and hooked me all the way to the finish line!

Rating:
Summary: A movie that takes too much pride on itself
Review: "Stigmata" disguises itself (or perhaps tries to hard) as a new title in horror/thriller films. Unfortunately, it isn't.

Patricia Arquette's problem? She's getting a stigmata. That's pretty much it. This has happened to a lot of people, but it has never happened so dramatically. This film is like taking the story of a woman who burns her hand while cooking toast and dragging it out for two hours, making the burning scene look like the shower stabbing scene from "Psycho."

And the great "message" of God is nothing new or exciting. Its the foundation of the Protestant church. Whee...

If you're looking for a good movie, find salvation else where.

Rating:
Summary: one of my faves...
Review: i love this movie. but then, i'm one of those who questions religions generally. as someone else said, the premise is that father alameida was working to translate parts of the dead sea scrolls -- which are believed to contain something that promises to shake the foundations of the church.

weirdly, alameida's rosary winds up in the hands of an atheist woman who starts to experience the stigmata. and she also starts writing parts of the dead sea scrolls on the wall of her apartment. alameida is speaking ("revealing the truth") through HER. A WOMAN. perhaps symbolic of mary magdalene.

stick with me here: some folks believe that mary magdalene was actually jesus' lover, and that SHE was supposed to carry on christ's teachings. and therein lies the premise for the movie.

there's lots of age-of-aquarius-the-truth-will-be-revealed type of stuff in here. oddly enough, reading "the da vinci code" by dan brown will help fill in some of the movie's gaps.

Rating:
Summary: Did some of the critics even watch the movie?
Review: I feel compelled to write this because after reading many of these reviews I am forced to ask the question "how many of you so-called critics actually watched Stigmata?"

I love this movie but I'm also realistic enough to admit its faults. The acting is great, I enjoy Gabriel Byrne and his understated performance, he did well with a script that is cumbersome at times. The film is beautifully shot, and the techniques used give it a surreal quality, while the editing definitely could have been better (I kinda liked the deleted scene of Alameida's suicide).
But to address some of the more foolish statements made...yes, some of the explanation process within the movie is a little simplistic but I hate to be the one to break this to you-not everyone is Catholic, not everyone went to catechism, I didn't but I was able to follow some of the dogma that is the foundation for the Catholic church. When Frankie attempts to seduce Kiernan, it is because she is a) being influenced by Alameida, a devoutly religious man who suffered the stigmata and b) as it is explained, stigmatics suffer from demonic attacks and temptation because of their belief and faith. Okay?
I won't defend every aspect of the movie, because although I really like this movie, no movie is ever perfect and up to everyone's standards. I think sometimes "critics" take things too seriously, look for every little mistake and if you're busy doing that then how can you possibly be watching (or 'gasp'actually enjoying) the movie?

Rating:
Summary: 'Stigmata' Falls Short
Review: What exactly is 'Stigmata' trying to be? Is it a horror/thriller? Is it a scathing commentary against the Catholic Church? I really couldn't tell. While the story is flimsily entertaining, and the effects creative and almost overwhelming, the film and its message can barely hold itself together. The acting is sufficient, so I have to blame the screenplay.

The basic premise is: a young woman - - who happens to be an atheist - - is stricken with stigmata (a condition where the wounds of Christ's crucifixion appear on a body) after receiving a religious item from a priest who has recently died. The handsome, hip, priest who is assigned to investigate her case is then caught in the midst of Vatican politics fueled by Church self-preservationists. The woman, meanwhile, goes through a very "Exorcist"-like transformation. There are some very dumbed-down plot points that you have to just swallow in order to stay with the story. Does anyone today really not have any idea what a rosary is? Especially anyone who lived through the late '80s - - and is familiar with Madonna, Cher, or any other of the myriad of celebrities who have rosaries tattoed to their bodies? Does a priest, particularly a priest who is stationed out of the Vatican itself, really need to be explained about the variety of Gospels, where they came from, and why they vary? Would a hospital really release a patient whom they believed just jammed a pointed object cleanly through both wrists? Wouldn't they put you on suicide watch or something? Especially after you keep coming back with other mysterious wounds and no logical explanation for them? And the biggest farce of them all - - how does a hairdresser get medical insurance where her doctor immediately wants to implant neuro-sensors into her head to investigate the cause of her seizure-like problem? I have a government job and I have to get an ungodly number of authorizations and referrals just to have a mole removed!

The best part of this movie is seeing Enrico Colantino, the guy who played Elliot the photographer from the tv series 'Just Shoot Me', in character as a Vatican toady with a thick Italian accent.

The problem with 'Stigmata' is most of the characters are utterly under-developed, as is the primary plot line, and the focus is placed on the special effects, including some not-so-dazzling attempts at utilizing symbolism. I would have appreciated a more educated approach to learning about the so-called hidden gospel, and the attempts to get the Church to release the contents, with a little less possession sensationalism.

Rating:
Summary: Triple D: Dumb, Derivative, and Dismal.
Review: Borrow liberally from "The Exorcist," employ cheap music video-style editing, and round up a handful of third-tier actors, and you've got "Stigmata," an unscary and woefully stupid religious thriller. The editorial review advises us not to dismiss this film as an "Exorcist" rip-off. How can you not? It mirrors that 1973 movie very closely, but unlike "The Exorcist," "Stigmata" shows no concern for originality, vision, or a plausible script. Patricia Arquette is a twentysomething atheist who gets mysterious wounds that are similar to those of Christ. A priest gets called in to investigate the matter, and the two begin a journey that's far less interesting than what the movie promises to be. Like most bad horror flicks, "Stigmata" labors to get scares from the audience through lots of blood, hyperactive editing, and other tired techniques. But even if this film weren't such an "Exorcist" wannabe, you'd still be left with amateurish acting, a script riddled with holes, and the sight of Nia Long in purple extensions. My advice? Skip this dud altogether. You're better off renting "Rosemary's Baby" or "The Omen" for the umpteenth time than spending a minute watching this lame and uninspired bore.

Rating:
Summary: DUMB Movie.
Review: Having done some researched on the stigmata phenomena in the past, I was ecited to hear a movie of it was being made. The previews made it seem like an interesting movie.. Then I saw it. Ok, 1st of all... Dumb script. The movie went on and on as if tryin to obviously explain everything to a 6 yr old. The cardinal sends the priest to explore these cases...yet is appalled when he tries to look deeper into them.. Stupid. They explain to the priest who wrote the Gospels (guess he was absent during that part of class)..In this day and age do many poeple still not know what a rosary is?
Overall..very disappointing movie... Not deep. Not thought-provocking. Just a cheesy written film, badly acted,..with a wannbe controversial message stamped to the end... yawn. NEXT.

Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: As a fan of religious horror films, this one is worthy of a purchase.

Although some of the storyline borrowed from previous horror films, such as The Exorcist, there was still enough new elements incorporated to keep us interested.

It is very low on scare factor, but does deliver an intriguing and thought provoking way of looking at theology.

Rating:
Summary: Too similar to The Exorcist...3.5STARS
Review: The Exorcist as we all know is the scariest movie ever made, so of coarse there was no chance that this lesser film could live up to it. All told, Stigmata is a rather uneven effort, but one with a thought-provoking combination of theology and thrills served up in a thoroughly modern, stylish package. Gabriel Byrne plays Father Kiernan, a young Jesuit priest whose degree in chemistry makes him a sort of priest/detective as he investigates weeping Marys and the like around the world. Meanwhile, Frankie (Patricia Arquette), a rave-generation Pittsburgher, is afflicted with the stigmata--holes that appear in her wrists, resembling the wounds of Christ. The young woman's symptoms filter back to the Vatican and Father Kiernan is assigned to the case. The priest is puzzled by Frankie's atheism; usually the stigmata only appear on the devout (hence the age-old controversy of miracles vs. hysteria). All in all, it's not a complete waste of time, but it's short of scares and atmosphere, but it is alot scarier than Scream of course. 3.5 Stars for this exorcist rip-off.