The Order (2003)
(On DVD, October 2006) Weak stuff, very weak stuff. While there’s something interesting in the idea of someone who burdens himself with the sins of others (hey, I was raised a good French Canadian Catholic, you know?), it’s certainly not a limp effort like The Order that’s going to fulfil that potential. Bad pretentious dialogue is actually one of the film’s lesser problems: the lack of interest in what’s going on is far more damaging. There is little here that we haven’t seen anywhere else: even Constantine was a lot more fun to watch. The actors don’t even try to improve things: It’s worth noting that once-hot Shannyn Sossamon has slunk back in obscurity since this last big-budget effort, which isn’t completely surprising given the lack of screen presence she exhibits here. If there’s one thing saving this film from complete collapse, it’s the beautiful cinematography and the sometimes-competent camera work: It may be a boring horror film, but it’s also a very pretty one, and that’s at least something to raise it above the usual scary-Catholic snoozefests. Weak comforts for a weak film.