Um Anjo da Guarda

A beautiful, breathtakingly shot movie with a touching storyline. Besson often talks about his feminine side, and he is in full touch with it here. Those expecting another Nikita with lots of guns and car chases should look elsewhere. I'm sure they will find at least 10 other movies like that now in the multiplex, but nothing like this. Serious Besson fans will not be disappointed. Besson has filmed a Paris that is at the same time both beautiful and real. We see the beauty of Notre Dame, Parisian cafés, the city's bridges, but we also see its ugliness and the difficulty faced by those who do not fit the stereotype of what it means to be French. Anyone who has ever felt like a stranger in their own home will find a kindred spirit in Andre. It is a struggle to fit into a culture and a struggle to value one's self as a part of it.

The last time Luc Besson directed a movie, was back in 1999. The last six years he occupied himself with his production-company EuropaCorp and by writing a lot of screenplays. Now he's back with his 9th feature film, ANGEL-A. This time no gunfights, car-chases or explosions. Nope, this time the man brings us, of all things, a romantic comedy. The movie is completely shot in Paris and seems to be one of the most secret projects of French cinema. Honestly, I can't see why, except maybe for a nice plot-twist which is presented to us halfway through the movie and not, as usual, near the end.

The plot (don't worry, no spoilers): André is a regular swindler. He lies and cheats all the time and owes money to almost every criminal in Paris. After being beaten and threatened for the umpteenth time, he decides to kill himself by jumping off a bridge. On the verge of committing this act of despair, while standing on a bridge, he looks to the left and sees a girl about to do the same thing. When she jumps, he jumps after her and saves her from drowning. She's so thankful that she offers to do anything he wants while constantly remaining at his side. Suprisedly, she turns out to be a real life-saver by finding a lot of dubious ways to earn money and pay off André's debts. After a while André wants to know why she's doing all these things for him and is curious about her past...

Jamel Debbouze (you might know him as the slightly retarded grocer's assistant in LE FABULEUX DESTIN D'AMÉLIE POULAIN) is particularly good as the nervous André. The Dannish Rie Rasmussen, a sexy blond goddess with legs that go all the way, takes a little more time to convince as Angela. However, there is a certain chemistry between the two of them. The other characters are merely caricatured portraits of criminals and gangsters.

The story is rather straightforward and relies a lot on funny situations and dialogues. A lot of talking is being done and I must say most of the lines are well-written. Near the end of the movie, unfortunately, Luc Besson goes way over-the-top, making the movie lose a lot of credibility. But then again, it just might be possible that the end could be interpreted in two different ways. And that makes me suspect that Besson likes to play it safe by trying to please as many viewers as possible.

Anyway, a very important reason to watch this movie is the atmospheric black & white-photography by cinematographer Thierry Arbogast, who also worked on Besson's previous films. Paris, during autumn, is beautifully transferred to the screen with well-balanced lighting. The movie also has some impressive shots of 'la Tour Eiffel', a cathedral in 'le XVe arrondissement' and the many bridges to be found in Paris.

Most likely ANGEL-A will have as many defenders as adversaries, not necessarily to be divided in Besson-fans and not-fans respectively. But both parties will have to admit Besson had the guts to try something different. So let the box-office decide whether this genre-effort is successful or not.

This film made me shed a tear or two (but then I am an emotional soul!). The comedic aspects, such as the total physical difference between the leads and the strength of the Angela were well placed. The reason for Angela coming into the life of Andre and her true identity could have been very tactlessly handled and cheesy in a Disney kind of way, but Besson made it seem as natural as catching a bus. Subtitles normally irritate me, but I didn't seem to notice them in this film. Paris in black and white is also very evocative and the filming was great in my opinion. I would recommend this film to anyone who fancies a fairly short film that makes you think about whether you appreciate your inner beauty and qualities.

I think the first thing that must be discussed about Angel-A is the casting. I'd never heard of either of these actors before watching the movie but they were so perfect for the roles. Having a short hairy Jamel Debbouze as the insecure liar who keeps getting himself into trouble works great, but even better is when he is contrasted with the tall and beautifully statuesque Rie Rasmussen. They are such an odd and unlikely pair that it works for this story. I love their interactions, and the contrast between the two of them. Perhaps even more remarkable is how they show the change in each of them as they spend more time together and start to rub off on one another. The emotional impact of the climax at the end of this film hit me like a ton of bricks, and a lot of that is because Rasmussen and Debbouze play out all that emotion so powerfully. There was also another intense moment earlier in the movie that made me tear up, because of what was happening and how well the actors performed the scene.

There are definitely some fuzzy plot points in this movie, and I was at times a bit confused at how Angela was influencing the people they came in contact with, to do things that are totally out of character. It feels like there would be a lot of people still ready to seek retribution on André, but there are several unexplained magical things going on, so I guess we're just supposed to let that go and assume everything will be fine. I wasn't interested in nitpicking the film too much after I was done watching because it made me feel so good. There is a surprising amount of heart in this story, and I love some of the messages that it teaches. It focuses a great deal on the value of truth, and the power of self-confidence. I'm not sure the ending was perfect, even if it felt good, it didn't play quite right. The conclusion threatened to undermine some of the messaging up to that point. However, when I watch this again, I might appreciate the finale more and see how it ties into the overall themes. And that's the most important point, no matter what flaws I might have seen in the movie, I didn't say "IF I watch this again, " I said "WHEN" because Angel-A is a solid movie that I expect to watch multiple times in the future.

Angel-A is an easy film to knock. Superficially, there isn't a great deal to endear it to any particular type of audience. For example, there's barely any action, no sex or nudity, there are no big Hollywood stars, it's not sufficiently intellectual to be an 'art-house movie' (despite being black & white!) and, although it has amusing moments, it's hardly a comedy. In addition, the film is only focused on the two main characters and, even then, it's only really about one of them. The remaining participants are (quite deliberately it appears) straightforward stereotypes who allow the simple story to progress. The quality of acting from Rie Rasmussen seems far from impressive but, to be fair, she's not speaking in her native language. Mind you, her awkward portrayal of the titular character seems to work well and she certainly stands out as a 'fish out of water'.

But despite the film's potential short-comings, there are three saving graces that transform Angel-A from a rather average 7 to a brilliant 9 in my eyes: the breathtaking cinematography (thank you Luc Besson), the magnificent casting (Jamel Debbouze is perfect as André) and the heart- warming gentle story (which stayed with me long after the film had finished). In fact, I would go so far as to say that Angel-A could leave you examining your own life and wondering when was the last time you stopped to 'respire and regard' the beautiful world around you and consider how the way you feel about yourself might well have a direct impact on how others treat you.

However, Angel-A is one of those films that you have to be in the right mood to watch. If you don't allow yourself to relax and be drawn into the fairytale, the story can easily fall flat. You also have to give it a chance to get started; the fast-paced dialogue at the beginning makes it hard to watch the pictures at the same time as reading the words (unless you're French of course!). But once Angela enters the frame, the story takes off on a stunningly gorgeous wander around Paris and the way that the tale gently unfolds in the second half of the film is wonderfully touching. There are many moments of outstanding beauty and even the superficially simplistic long-shots of Angela & André crossing the Seine have a mysterious magical quality about them. Actually, the whole film feels slightly unreal; this is partly down to the subject matter but also to the way it was filmed in an almost-empty Paris at odd times of the day.

So, in summary, I love Angel-A. It's one of those films you can watch again and again quite happily and find new insights from each viewing. There are so many scenes that quickly become favourite moments as you watch it multiple times. The contrast between the giant Nordic goddess and the shifty little North-African seems to work brilliantly and the backdrop of a beautiful black & white Paris with incredible lighting more than makes up for a few minor flaws. 9/10