Besson Me Mucho

Published May 30th, 2007

Since I was virtually abandoned to my own devices here in Burbank, I sometimes do things with an online social group to get out and meet people. Did you needto know that? Probably not. But there it is. Anyway, this week one of the outings was to go see Angel-A. I like this group because it gives me the opportunity to see independent films I wouldn’t otherwise see in the theater. Going alone to movies just sorta bugs me. So, this movie is done by Luc Besson. It is in French. Damn, do French people talk fast. I’m by no means even passable in French, but if you go slow enough sometimes I can piece together what is being said. This movie - I just relied on the subtitles like a normal person. Which, I suppose, I am.

I have not seen all of Monsieur Besson’s movies, but I have seen Fifth Element, Leon, The Big Blue, and La Femme Nikita. And you know what? I liked all of them. Quite a bit. I guess that makes me a Luc Besson Fan - something I didn’t know until just now. Now I really want to see Subway and The Final Combat.

Going to the theater, I didn’t know Angel-A was a Luc Besson film. I was pretty excited when I got there and saw the poster. What is this movie all about? Easiest way to describe it is - a modern day It’s A Wonderful Life. HEY - keep reading.

I’m as sick of IAWL as the next guy. It’s got a great actor in a hugely overrated movie. I’m even more bitter because I accidently bought some sort of script guide to IAWL. I guess I put my stack of books down on top of it at B&N one night, and the clerk picked up my books plus the extra book. These are the perils of living in a studio town. Anyone need a script guide to IAWL? It’s yours.

So with all this flak thrown at IAWL, what do I think of Angel-A? I really, really enjoyed it. It was really good. It had a ton of humor - just the right kind and just the right amount. This is not a deep movie, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on.  Guy is depressed, tries to kill himself, before he can, saves an angel who goes on to show him that life is worth living. Hooray for everything right? Maybe. I’m a big fan of dark movies, but this is like a happy movie wrapped inside of a dark, gritty movie.

It’s shot in black and white, but let me tell you - it is shot beautifully. A gorgeous film. The protag, Andre, is well played. The actor has an amputated arm, so his character has one arm in a pocket the entire film. This is never mentioned, addressed, nor discussed throughout the entire film. Because that’s just who he is - we also do not discuss that he has a nose and curly hair. It is irrelevant. I thought this was, intentional or not, a fantastic exclamation point on the moral of the story.

Which is, what, you might ask? (You didn’t ask? Well, you did now.) The moral, like I said, is as expected - life is worth living. No matter how shitty things get, you can still be a good and valuable person. You are worth it. It’s true - hell it better be. It’s a message that spoke directly to me, since I struggle with that sort of thing - don’t we all, to an extent? The angel shows this to Andre, that he is worthy of love even though he’s never had it. The twist is - Andre eventually shows the angel that she too is worthy of love as well.

There comes a moment in the film where Andre professes his love for the angel, and she pretty much flips out. Without giving too much away, that was the only part where I was unhappy with the movie. I didn’t really understand why the angel had the reaction she did in the way she did at the time she did. Felt like a hiccup in the story. Other than that though, I thought everything flowed just fine. It’s not a deep film, like I said - but it’s a good one.

For those of you out there who like attractive women - as Luc Besson CLEARLY does - the angel, played by Rie Rasmussen, is a full-on knock-out. If you have seen La Femme Nikita or Fifth Element, you know what to expect here. She is a Danish blonde bombshell in heels and a micro-mini. She towers over Andre. Why do I mention this? There’s a reason beyond completeness - she’s an angel. And you really believe she just might be from another world - she looms, statuesque, over the whole story (and Andre). She is a Force. She is what you would expect an Angel to be.

So, Angel-A. Luc Besson. Good story. Well shot. Fun. Worth seeing? I definitely think so. Don’t go in expecting something complicated, listen to what the story is telling you, and go home happy. This is what should be shown on Christmas instead of IAWL. Let’s just say that sometimes, it’s better for an Angel to lose her wings than for an Angel to get his wings. Take that, Capra and Clarence.

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