Lately, Parisian settings have become the norm for this reviewer. Before Paris Je T'aime and Julie Delpy's new film 2 Days in Paris (to be reviewed in August), there was Luc Besson's Angel-A, a character drama fueled by fantasy and sharp humor.
Angel-A enlivens the "buddy comedy" with an elegantly supernatural twist, as we follow Angela (Rie Rasmussen), a statuesque angel (seriously) with a mission. Her task brings her into the seedy day of Andre (Jamel Debbouze), a lovable but bumbling man with debts owed around the city.
Besson has shared that the film's inspiration was drawn from an incident with an ex-girlfriend, during which she persuaded him to stand in front of a mirror and say, "I love me." Besson struggled with the request, a hesitation passed to the Andre character and reenacted in a particularly touching scene.
The core of Angel-A is about learning to love ourselves, despite our faults and bad decisions, and about how finding that love can empower our ability to love someone else. There is great chemistry between the two leads - the talented Debbouze, a well known French comedian (Amelie), and Rasmussen, who, with the exception of a role in Brian DePalma's Femme Fatale, had previously been writing/directing/acting in her own films.
As Andre's sudden companion and personal cheerleader, Angela is otherworldly in appearance and beautifully wounded in demeanor. It is hard to imagine a better casting fit for the leggy character than Rasmussen. (*To be noted: Rasmussen could not even speak French before she was cast.*)
Angel-A is a gorgeous film, beginning with the effective choice to photograph it in black and white. Besson's Paris is both sweeping and intimate, from posh hotels to an after-hours underbelly. The aesthetic frequently favors film noir, and a memorable scene in a club is impressively edited. Anja Gabarek's music compliments the stylized story.
Much of Angel-A brings Besson full circle, including the addition of character traits and lines from his own films, such as the "Ok" joke from Léon.
Angel-A demonstrates that Besson has a firm grasp on the strengths that shaped his work prior to his disappointing 1999 film, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.
Although arriving almost 2 years old late on American shores, Angel-A is one of Luc Besson's best films.
Very limited opening USA May 25. MPAA: Rated R
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