Smith's Catholic Controversy

BY VICTOR OLLIVER

Story courtesy of Matt Simpson

Kevin Smith's controversial "anti-Catholic" movie Dogma features Alan Rickman dressed up as an angel - with a huge spread of wings.

The movie was unveiled at Cannes with Smith and his stars in attendance - Ben Affleck, Rickman, Linda Fiorentino and Salma Hayek. Alanis Morrisette, who plays God, was absent.

Smith said: "I wrote the film during a crisis of faith, but it's wrong to say that Dogma is anti-Catholic."

In the film, God is depicted as a Canadian rockstar. "At best my film is adolescent," Smith told Big Screen. "I was cautious not to offend though the potential is there. I wrote the film when my faith as a Catholic was at a low ebb.

"This happens to a lot of people - as you get older, you become more aware of life, so the onus is on you, not the church, to help your own faith."

Affleck turned up in a brown leather jacket. The smoke from his cigarette clearly irritated his co-star, Mexican actress Salma Hayek. For all his sex symbol status he is a serious man, never happier than when talking at length about his ideas.

Of appearing in Dogma, he said: "The movie made me reflect on how stupid it is to blame films or video games for violent behaviour. There's no place for that view in a mature world."

Hayek shuns her "sexy" tag

Ben Affleck also talked about his close working partnership with Matt Damon: "After Good Will Hunting we seem joined at the hip. I find it rewarding working with people I know and trust like Kevin Smith. Both are talented and smart so that's good for me.

"Matt and I are working on a new movie script together, it very different from Hunting, but we will both star in it."

The best "looker" at Cannes, Hayek, an outspoken diva who upstaged the press conference for Dogma. She said: "No offence to Kevin, but working on Dogma did not change my faith as a Catholic."

Does she resent the "sexy" tag? "I can laugh about it. After doing the sex scene with Antonio Banderas in Desperado, never again. I don't want my father seeing such things!"

Alan Rickman felt "exorcised" playing the part of an angel in Dogma. "I was dragged up a Welsh Methodist and I still have the scars," he said.

Co-star Linda Fiorentino (The Last Seduction) said: "I grew up a Catholic, and I still am. I did question the logic but found my own faith."

The actress famed for hard-woman roles added: "I discovered that everyone one of us is the same, we're no different. I have no crisis of faith."

Young Hollywood hotshot

Ben Affleck catapulted onto the Hollywood scene after writing and starring in Good Will Hunting, which won him an Academy Award at the age of 25.

But the road to success hasn't been easy. We trace the path that led Ben to stardom.

He was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California.

He got his first acting role at the age of eight in the TV series The Voyage Of The Mimi.

During his high school years he starred in Daddy, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Against The Grain and Dazed And Confused.

After appearing with lifelong friend and actor Matt Damon in the film School Ties he went on to make TV film A Body To Die For, for which he was nominated an Emmy award.

In 1997 he starred in the acclaimed love story Chasing Amy.

The same year, he teamed up again with Matt Damon to make Good Will Hunting, which won a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay and Oscar for Original Screenplay.

In 1998 he appeared in Armageddon for $600,000, and beside then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare In Love.

Released this year, Forces Of Nature was a huge hit for Affleck and co-star Sandra Bullock.

His future films include War Journal where he teams up again with pal Damon.

He will also star in Daddy And Them, a dark comedy where a married couple help a jailed uncle.