Anjo Perigoso

I discovered this movie on HBO late late one night, and was pleasantly surprised. What starts out as a typical mob movie, with greasy hit men and fat Godfathers in Chicago, quickly turns unconventional with a change of scene to California. Our "heroine" in the movie (Lee) is a social recluse who dresses stiffs at the mortuary, while the "master" hit man (Belushi) surfs and eats tofu. Lee's character quickly goes from being the hunted to the hunter, which is the best part of the movie. Very entertaining to watch!

Well... I guess there can be something said for an HBO "free preview"! I caught this film totally by accident during one of HBO's free weekends. I must agree with the other users, that the film did lag a bit in the beginning. But being a Jim Belushi fan, I decided to stick it out. I was NOT disappointed! Although the acting was far from academy award quality, Belushi and a very well written script continued to hold my attention. If you get a chance to catch this one, DO IT! It's really well worth it!

This comedy-thriller stars Sheryl Lee, Jim Belushi, and Kyle Chandler (from the TV show "Inside Edition").

It is an absolutely wonderful film that showcases Sheryl's acting in a way that none of her films has since "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me." Her character, Angel, goes through a series of transformations that is astonishing, hilarious, and touching. If the film had gotten a major theatrical release, it could have been the "breakthrough" role that would have made a lot of critics and moviegoers recognize her real talent.

It is also that rare thing: a funny *and* intelligent thriller that not only shatters movie cliches, but keeps the viewer engaged for the entire length of the movie.

School for Assassins

The story opens on the streets of Chicago, where a businessman is being stalked by a mob hitman. Just as he is about to strike, the hitman is run over by a truck! We learn that the businessman is the former accountant for the mob boss, Uncle Vinny (Jon Polito of "Miller's Crossing"), and he is entering the witness protection program in order to testify against Vinny.

A new hitman is needed pronto, and Tony Greco (Kyle Chandler), who once took a bullet to protect another mobster, is elected. Tony is sent to California to train with Stevie Rosellini (Jim Belushi), the most-feared assassin in the country. But Stevie turns out to be a laid-back California dude who lives on the beach and quotes Nietzche, so there is plenty of humor involving the clash between their personal styles and values.

After training Tony for a while, Stevie reveals the final test Tony must pass before he can return to Chicago--killing an innocent victim selected at random from the phone book. The victim selected is Angel Chaste (Sheryl Lee), who turns out to be a mortician at a funeral parlor.

As Stevie and Tony start tailing Angel, they learn that her life is a bit more complicated that it appears. When Angel discovers what is going on, she uses her intelligence and wit and turns into a far more formidable target than the assassins ever encountered. I won't reveal any more of the plot, as there are several delicious surprises and twists, and an ending that had the audience cheering when I first saw it at as the opening night film for the '99 Cinequest Film Festival.

Surprising Production Qualities

In addition to Sheryl Lee's superb performance, Jim Belushi is dead-on in his portrayal of Stevie. In a question and answer session after the screening, the writer/director David Corley revealed that Belushi was his first choice for the part, and how he fought with the producers to get Sheryl Lee for Angel after seeing her performance in "Backbeat."

Corley also told of the five-year struggle to get funding for the film, and the reluctance of the Hollywood studios to finance a film with such a strong and quirky female lead character. This time allowed him to hone and perfect the script, however, and the film is perfectly paced for its 102 minutes. The musical score and cinematography are also impressive for a first feature effort. Corley's prior experience was producing industrial films for Silicon Valley companies and running a video rental store. One can only imagine that he watched a *lot* of videos to come up with a script this original!

Unfortunately, the film did not acquire a US theatrical distributor, was bought by HBO, aired a few times on cable with minimal promotion, and was then released to video.

Don't miss this "hidden treasure"!

David L. Corley's 'Angel's Dance' is an underrated quirky dark comedy. The screenplay is refreshing. The writing is quite clever and the humour is a delight. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the element of suspense is very well maintained. I only thought that Angel's transition in the end was a little drastic and the writer could have elaborated more here. 'Angel's Dance' is quite high in erotic quotient even though there are very few nude scenes. I can completely understand why Tony was infatuated by Angel. The principle cast, Jim Belushi, Kyle Chandler and Sheryl Lee are terrific. Jim Belushi performs naturally as the laidback hit-man and Kyle Chandler is equally brilliant as Stevie's impatient and unwilling-to-follow-instructions apprentice. There are only very few actresses who can play vulnerable, seductive and insane as convincingly as Sheryl Lee. The film is made within a modest budget. As such the execution is decent. Yet, the performances, writing and direction makes 'Angel's Dance' an enjoyable rainy day or late summer night choice.

There are any number of movies that are worth watching. There is a smaller number of movies that are worth watching again. And there are a very few movies that are worth watching over and over. "Angel's Dance" is one of those movies.This is due to imaginative writing and fine performances turned in by Jim Belushi, as the professional hit-man trying to train a mafia soldier to do wetwork, and Sheryl Lee, as the introverted, isolated woman who is supposed to be the apprentice's final exam. Nothing goes as planned for the assassins, as their intended victim reacts unpredictably and lethally to their efforts. As miserable and lonely as her life may be, she isn't at all ready to give it up yet.

The movie has plenty of little surprises in it, yet none of them feel contrived. This is a movie you can safely pop into the VCR or DVD player on a rainy day and be assured of an entertaining ride, even if the ending isn't exactly a happily-ever-after one.