Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

shisekushi This movie is somewhat garbage and too simple, the subject matter of the movie, Christianity, has nothing to do with how ridiculous the movie is. There are scenes in the movie that is so "out-of-the-blue" with no apparent reason whatsoever for it to happen in the first place, making it cringe-worthy to watch. Is this horror? Meh.

debalelay I almost overlooked this movie the first time around, simply because I found what I now realize was essential scene-setting for the plot too much; in that the so cool characters it first introduces us to and their so cool lives were such a successful personification of the soulless, shallow Hell that is the modern world that I wrote it off initially as propaganda for that philosophy. But I was only 17 at the time and lacked the patience that this movie was asking for. If anything it's to the credit of it's creators, both seen and unseen that the movie encompassed the impact so early on to stir a visceral reaction in it's viewer.Frankie's life is one of meaningless fun and the mere thought of anything meaningful to her and her peer-group is out of the question. Frankie clearly, from the outset is not as superficial as her friends; this we see as she takes seriously the prospect of being pregnant whilst her closest friend Donna simply implies that she should get an abortion, also that the casual nature of her relationship with Steven bothers her. As the reality of the Stigmata and all it's ramifications take over her life her friends and colleagues begin to distance themselves from her. I am pleased to say about this movie that as predictable as the involvement between Frankie and the Priest was it didn't degrade the story; Frankie, despite living a shallow existence is at root a kind and what you might say "Christian" person. She gives money to people begging, she doesn't jump to the choice of abortion as a reflex action because she understands that an abortion(termination) is the taking of a life, she resents being used for sex by her lover Steven, in short, subconsciously she is deeply desiring that her life should have meaning. Into this void, in timely fashion steps Father Andrew Kiernan; the interaction between Gabriel Byrne and Patricia Arquette really gives strength to the story for many reasons. One being the excellent chemistry between the two. He incites in her faith as she leads him into temptation. He is a stranger to her who displays genuine compassion when she is someone with many friends who all distance themselves from her as she begins to need them deeply. Underwriting this also is the fact that despite an age gap the prospect of a relationship between the two isn't a ridiculous thing to suggest, partly because the actors in question work well to convince us of it. Gabriel Byrne's character of Father Andrew Kiernan also helps us to see why he is so incongruous to the Priesthood in that he is too genuinely Christian to represent the Vatican. Practising real Christian values such as going out and associating with prostitutes without being judgmental or not feeling threatened by the possibility of the Vatican or organized church in general losing their monopoly on God.The Film's overall message of how Faith can exist in a world that seems determined to destroy it is a satisfying one. One might even say that the scenes of the extreme banal(a contradiction I realize) on which the film opens, but extremes, as terrible as they might be do nonetheless allow us to see if not what a thing is then at least what it is not and that Evil, if it is real(I think it is),would definitely harness Banality and Neutrality because at it's heart the Right decision isn't always an obvious one and that to do the Right thing we must take the chance of doing the Wrong thing and that the worst thing to do is acquiesce and fail to take part.

michaelasiclari " Stigmata " (1999) is a thinking man's horror film. It not only makes you question the motives of the Catholic Church, but it also implores you to question your own faith and the true meaning of GOD. I was drawn to this film for many reasons. But it takes more than one viewing for you to fully realize its impact, not only on Catholics, but for anyone who believes in God.It features fine performances by Patricia Arquette ( before her success on " Medium " ) as the girl who becomes afflicted with the " stigmata " wounds, and Gabriel Byrne as the skeptical priest who tries to save her. The film is visually stunning and features an impressive cutting edge soundtrack. " Stigmata " is more than your average possession film. It delves into the " sinister " inner workings of the Catholic Church, and its obsession with power and corruption. I don't want to reveal any spoilers here, so I'll only say that if you are a Catholic or believe in God you must see this engrossing film, for it will open your eyes to the real truth about Jesus and his philosophy towards his followers…… " for I am under every rock and in every tree…. "

Chris Smith (RockPortReview) Usually I don't do reviews of bad movies but when I originally saw "Stigmata" on DVD in the late 90s I actually thought it was pretty good. Now as I re-watch it over 10 years later I can definitely say, What the hell was I thinking? It feels dated, overly stylized and just plain bad all around.Taking place in the water logged city of Pittsburg, where it is constantly raining and dreary. Patricia Arquette plays Frankie Paige a hair stylist who becomes afflicted with the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ, after receiving a rosary from her mother as a gift. The rosary belonged to a recently deceased South American priest whose church recently had their statue of the Virgin Mary bleed. Frankie is an atheist and the stigmata usually only appears to extremely devout Catholics. The wounds of the stigmata cannot be transferred through physical items. Its also has nothing to with demonic possession, actually quite the opposite. We then meet Father Andrew Kiernan, a Vatican investigator of miracles. He is sent to meet with Frankie and we learn that she is 23 years old, yeah sure you are and I am Abraham Lincoln. They talk and she tries to seduce him, and he refuses for the most part. Later on she seems to be possessed by some evil spirit and writes all over her apartment walls. This is supposedly is a lost gospel of the Bible written by Jesus himself. It tries to be scary and horrific but epically fails.This train wreck was directed by Rufus Wainwright and like a lot of movies in the 90s it suffers from over stylization (AKA The Tarantino Effect). Style over substance and style just for the sake of trying to be "cool". It pays no attention to factual accuracy and just kind of creates it own thing on the fly. The musical score sound like something out of the 80s and not in a good nostalgic way. The entire look and feel of the film feels pretty dated and it wasn't even made that long ago. This is definitely a view at your own risk movie.