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He so exudes noirish weariness of the soul, even amidst the physical demands of battling demons, that it forces you see that the dude has some serious chops that he hasn’t had exactly the right vehicle to demonstrate them in.

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THIS. Is exactly why this is my all-time favorite of Keanu's roles. I cannot get enough of the way he wears Constantine's bitterness and despair - with a healthy undercurrent of fear thrown in for good measure - like they're his second skin. The way he starts to care about Angela totally against his own will. Just Such. Brilliant. Work.

Sorry, I'm new here and I needed a place to gush.

I love his Constantine. Most comics fanboys got stuck on looks - he ain't blonde, he ain't British, the trench coat ain't the right color, waaaaaaaa! - but if they looked past appearances (which, in Constantine's world, is a must ;) they'd have seen that the essence was there, and more than that.
And the cinematic language is brilliant. That opening scene, in which we first 'meet' Constantine? Just a hand out of a cab window, letting the cigarette butt drop, with that particular move of the wrist... That's the character already, in a nutshell.It sets the tone.

and so on ;)

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Just a hand out of a cab window, letting the cigarette butt drop, with that particular move of the wrist

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As much as I detest cigarette smoking - except when I smell a tobacco I like, which makes me want to light up - he made it look uber-cool. All the physical business he does with the lighter and cigarette throughout the movie are just spot on. The shot where Angela's telling him about her sister and all you see of him are his hands as he lights another one...perfect stuff. His gestures and general physical expressiveness can be quite good but I've never seen them so offhandedly deliberate as they are here, which to me indicates a very thoughtful take on the character.

As for appearance, I'm not familiar with the comics but dark hair and eyes seem very well suited to Constantine, who I think shouldn't be conventionally handsome.

As for Reeves... he often tells more with a glance, a tilt of the head, a shrug, a gesture, than 30 minutes of theatrically delivered monologue. He'd have made a great silent movies actor (or maybe he was ;))
47 Ronin is yet another proof of that.

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47 Ronin is yet another proof of that.

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Thanks for this. Though I haven't seen it, I was starting to suspect 47 Ronin was not as bad as everyone said. I think I've started to see my mistake about his acting over the years - I assumed he was playing some version of himself in every role (as if I knew him personally or something), which is absolutely not the case. No one can "tell more with a glance, a tilt of the head, a shrug, a gesture, than 30 minutes of theatrically delivered monologue" if all he's doing is riffing himself. That kind of attention to character detail happens with the best actors, not the worst. He's actually a much better chameleon than I've been giving him credit for.

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He's actually a much better chameleon than I've been giving him credit for.

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better late than never ;)

oh, do watch 47 Ronin. nevermind what anyone said. just watch it and see for yourself.

-> http://anivad42.tumblr.com/post/72060907827/conclusions-drawn-on-47-ronin-based-on-internet

Plus the studio interference didn't help. But as a film on its own, it's pretty good.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/constantine-producer-won-criticize-2005-movie-character-article-1.1866315

Pro tip, moron - saying "We'll do it right this time" is indeed criticizing. And the article didn't even mention the fact that so many comic book fans dismissed the movie for stupid superficial reasons like Constantine's hair color. Just no.

Nor is scenery-chewing acting.

But I'm waiting, patiently, until the series are broadcast. Well, at least the pilot and a few episodes.... ;)
I prefer to make my opinion only after actually watching their version.

are they happy now

some of the Hellblazer fanboys will never be happy.
but I am ;)

Just saw the trailer for the show, well except for the Misha Collins coat(atleast half of it anyway)i like, i don't... ok , i shouldn't do what others do to Keanu and like a good gal i should wait till i watch the show (but am still crying on the inside)

Ps, i also heard that he loves The Matrix, made me even happier