I've seen Wim Wenders' film "Faraway, So Close," which is the sequel to "Wings of Desire." I haven't seen "Wings of Desire" though and that is what this film is based upon. And while "City of Angels" has an awesome cast, a great script and excellent direction, it probably isn't as good as the original. This is a Hollywood film and when the piece makes it's climax, it rings hollow. This same climax in a Foreign film, might make the film the extremely deep and wondrous. Here, it seems a bit too hard to swallow.

The film lives in two worlds, the world we as humans know, and the ethereal plane where angels exist. The crisscrossing of the two always looks awesome, especially since the angels all dress in black trench coats. These worlds collide when angel Seth, played by Nicolas Cage, comes into contact with a cardiologist named Maggie, played by Meg Ryan. This is the perfect character for the angel to meet since the film is about the meaning of life and the wonders of being human and living on Earth.

The actors chosen here are great too. Cage is simply awesome as the angel. His sense of wonder, of feeling, of emotion makes every miniscule partical of his character come to life. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. He makes the dialogue so special and the film's meaning so intense that the images simply crackle everytime he is on screen. Ryan, meanwhile, may play the misty eyed female she has played opposite so many other leading men, but here she seems to take it to the next level. Also in the cast are Andre Brougher as another angel and Dennis Franz as a construction worker who is one of Maggie's patients. His role becomes an integral part of the film and he plays it well, enjoying the chance to play a nice guy.

The direction by Brad Silberling ("Casper") is also quite nice even if he lifts many things from the Wenders work. The film plays cinematically with the dual role of the character's place in the world with nice shots of Cage distorted by frosted or semi opaque glass. Along these lines, there is a nice shot where we see Maggie go upstairs where her image disappaers momentarily behind a mirror that, at first, we didn't notice was there. Silberling's images of angel in black trench coats in libraries, on the beach and in the city also looks wonderful. He also does a cool thing where Cage, when finally stripped of all his ethereal trappings, is seen in a street scene amidst several signs which say "nude" and "totally nude" and such. Cage's Seth is exposed in the film and this symbolism reminds us of this.

"City of Angels" loses itself at the climax. It just seems a little too contrieved. We don't believe the turn of events that happens here. Maybe Dana Stevens' script just doesn't hit it quite right. Maybe it's because the director telegraphs exactly what is going to happen much to soon and then surprises us when he follows through with it. But the ride getting to the film's finale has been so wonderful, and the epilogue so affirming, that we can almost forgive the film for it's shortcomings at that crucial moment.

Note:

Also with Colm Feore, Robin Bartlett.

Music by Gabriel Yared. Cinematography by John Seale. Pop soundtrack includes tunes by U2, Alanis Morrissete, Jimi Hendrix, Paula Cole, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Sarah McLachlin, Goo Goo Dolls, and Peter Gabriel.

Hemmingway's "A Moveable Feast" is quoted, discussed briefly.

Filmed in several locales in California.

Wenders' 1987 original is actually called "Der Himmel ueber Berlin" ("The Heaven under Berlin"). Original script for "Wings of Desire" by Wenders and Peter Handke.

Review written in 1998

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