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Feature by: Jack Foley
HAVING appeared in three Matrix
films, as well as box office successes such as Speed,
Point Break and The Devil's Advocate, it is fair to say that Keanu
Reeves is one of the world's biggest movie stars.
Yet the modest actor plays down such achievements, preferring
to sing the praises of his collaborators.
Speaking about his career, while promoting his latest blockbuster,
Constantine, Reeves opts to view each success as a stepping stone
to achieve greater things.
"It’s great if a film works, like if Constantine works,
because it gives me an opportunity to hopefully do something
great," he explained.
"And if it does succeed and people do enjoy it, then producers
will want to work with me, so that’s another opportunity
for me to make another film.
"But The Matrix wasn’t on my back; that was the Wachowski
brothers.
"And Something's Gotta
Give, that was Jack Nicholson and Nancy Meyers made that film."
For his latest, however, Reeves stars as John Constantine, a
cancer-ridden, sarcastic mortal, who has literally been to hell
and back following an attempt to take his own life.
Marked as an attempted suicide with a temporary lease on life,
he patrols the earthly border between heaven and hell in a desperate
bid to gain salvation by sending the devil's foot-soldiers back
to hell.
That chance comes in the form of Rachel Weisz's desperate police
detective, Angela Dodson, who asks him to investigate the apparent
suicide of her twin sister.
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The ensuing investigation, however,
finds Constantine thrust into the middle of a wager between God
and the Devil for the souls of all mankind.
The film is based on the popular DC Comics/Hellblazer graphic
novels and is a dark, frequently scary tale that places as much
emphasis on character as special effects.
Reeves, especially, is pleased to be a part of it.
"Well, I relate to him to a certain extent," he laughs.
"I love Constantine’s sense of humour, the humour that’s
in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
"He’s dying and yet he gives the finger to the devil,
the demon and he’s got this deadpan humour.
"I also liked his anger. I liked that he didn’t like
what was going on and he was pissed off. I could relate to that.
It reminded me of school.
"But it was fun to actually learn about him; taking the
shapes from the comic book itself and I lowered my register and
found rhythms.
"I don’t quite have the Constantinian world view but
I would relate so I guess that’s what made it so fun for
me."
On the subject of fun, Reeves is also looking forward to his
next project, Il Mare, which sees him reunited with his Speed
co-star, Sandra Bullock.
He describes the film, which is an adaptation of a French film,
as 'a real romanticist’s romance' and believes he and Bullock
make 'a cute couple'.
When asked to explain what he meant by romantic love, he elaborates:
"It’s believing in love. It’s believing that
there’s someone for you; that there’s the ultimate
person, the ideal who will be your soul mate and your perfect
match and that all your pain and suffering will go away and you’ll
live happily ever after and you’ll be together in a blissful
union."
As for his own perception on finding a soul mate, he smiles and
concludes 'I’m the wrong guy to ask'.
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