Commandments - The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.


	Commandments USA 1997. Director: Daniel Taplitz Cast: Aidan Quinn, Courteney Cox, Anthony LaPaglia How do you fight faith? What do you fight it with? Seth Warner (Quinn) is a faithful believer and a madman with a plan. He has just lost his wife in a swimming accident, his job and his home in an earthquake, which affected only his house and no one elses, and his dog has lost one leg after being struck by lightning. Convinced that God is out to test his faith, Seth sets out for revenge. His intention is to break every one of the ten commandments and hopefully, in the end, he will get some kind of an answer to his questions. What God takes one leg from a dog? Is God willing to prevent evil, but just isn't able? If so he can't be almighty. Or is he able but not willing? Then he must be malevolent. Or is he neither willing nor able? Then why do we call him God in the first place? He must be a raging psychopath! Seth starts working on his plan. He commits burglary and then gives false witness, he dishonour his parents in church and he commits adultery with his sister-in-law (Courteney Cox). Only soon he discover that his faith is too deeply rooted for him to be successful and instead he finds himself quite literally tangled up in blue. So what justifies a review of this film here? It sounds like fucking Kieslowski or something. It's not. It's good. And it's about blind religion and that's pretty scary right there. As for the fantastic element... well, the thought provoking last scene leaves that for the viewer to decide what to believe. If the film flirts with the unexplained or if Seth's subsequent faith is just a question of pure goddamn coincidence and old-fashioned luck. You decide. In any case, it's an inspiring ending, no matter how one views it. On the performance front, Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall) chews busloads of scenery in the lead. Dangerously close to overacting, but well matched by Anthony LaPaglia (Innocent Blood, Summer of Sam) and Courteney Cox (Scream, Ace Ventura-Pet Detective), the latter proving that she is the only one of TV's Friends cast who can do something else than comedy (but can somebody please tell her?). And lastly writer/director Daniel Taplitz manage to balance between ambitious black comedy, psycho-thriller and spirited romance about the more fantastic aspects of life, while at the same time leaving enough room for the viewer to reflect on what's going on. For a Hollywood film that alone is an achievment worth encouraging, no matter how much one is actually entertained by it. Although in this case, you will be. © The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.