Mon ange

Serge Frydman (who previously delivered us the similarly themed fairy-tale "Girl on the Bridge") directs this charming French entry about a call girl in Amsterdam who reluctantly finds herself taking care of an orphaned teen-age boy after trying to do a favor for a fellow prostitute in trouble. Much of the plotting is pretty far-fetched, but Frydman dresses it all in poetic dialogue about dreams and love and visually with the natural beauty of the Dutch countryside that you begin to accept it all at face value as a simple fable.

Aside from the scenery, the real treasure here is Vanessa Paradis in the lead role. She's a stunning natural beauty with high cheek-bones and eyes as deep as the ocean who exhumes an amazing magnetism on film, much in the same way as Naomi Watts or Nicole Kidman. Much of the time the camera is lingering on her face and body language, and she speaks volumes about the aching sorrow of being alone in the world without ever having to say a word. The film is also memorable for a scene in a hotel room where two people find solace and intimacy in physical contact without ever kissing or taking off their clothes. It's a sensual and emotionally resonating moment that is beautifully handled by the actors and director. Melancholy and enchanting, this a must-see fairy-tale for a discerning adult audience.

Serge Frydman, the sole credited writer for _Girl on the Bridge_ directed by Patrice Leconte, tries to replicate that fragile magic. Once again the incandescent Vanessa Paradis is the centerpiece. The dialogue is just as florid and poetic (or tries to be), and the cinematography and framing are excellent. But _My Angel_ is a struggle to sit through. Paradis's foil Vincent Rottiers (who is decent in _Renoir_) just doesn't have the world weariness of Daniel Auteuil to pull off the morose tone that comes with his role. He is mostly an annoying kid. Instead of the constant danger of being hit by flying knives, we have generic mobster villain here, and Paradis's ticking biological clock. The whimsy, heightened sense of adventure, the life-and-death urgency of _Girl on the Bridge_ just aren't there. That film is a once-in-a-lifetime, lightning-in-a-bottle achievement; writer-director Frydman should have known better than to try to repeat it.

Going into it, I had no idea "Mon Ange" took its plot from John Cassavetes' "Gloria" that had already been subjected to an American remake. It falls short of the original, especially lacking in suspense and action, but it adds a French twist not in "Gloria" which, though not very successful, would have created serious censorship and distribution problems in the U.S. What made "Gloria" especially impressive was the brilliant performance by Gena Rowlands, and while not quite as stunning, Vanessa Paradis turns in a great performance here in the lead role that, on its own, makes "Mon Ange" well worth a viewing. Pity she isn't being used more.