Angel-A (2005)

Plot Summary: A down-on-his-luck small-time scammer deep in debt contemplates suicide on a Parisian bridge, until a mysterious tall woman leaps into the river beside him, transforming his life in unexpected ways.

Director: Luc Besson
Producer: Luc Besson
Screenplay: Luc Besson

Starring:
Jamel Debbouze as André Moussah
Rie Rasmussen as Angela
Gilbert Melki as Franck
Serge Riaboukine as Pedro
Akim Chir as Samy

Music: Anja Garbarek
Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast
Editing: Frédéric Thoraval

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⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️

A Charming but Flawed Film

So, I'm writing this review for "Angel-A" after "Arthur" even though I watched "Angel-A" first, Luc Besson's 10th movie after a six-year hiatus following "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc." I was so mad at "Arthur" that I had to write the hateful one first and get it over and done with. "Angel-A" is a charming movie with a bad title. Thankfully, the two main characters, their chemistry, their dialogues, and the images of Paris turn it into a very entertaining and pleasant experience. It's a flawed movie with many loose ends and nonsensical actions from our characters and a terrible romantic ending. But, even if it seems like it was written without anyone looking at the script twice, I like this movie. I like it a lot, actually, and I was happy to find a more humble movie after the big production of "Joan of Arc."

Characters and Chemistry

The tall, Nordic-looking angel, played by Rie Rasmussen, left my imagination wandering and thinking of how cool it would be for an angel like that to exist. The main character, André, had some funny moments and I felt sympathy for him. But, he was also irritating sometimes, like when he is worried about how he's going to pay the bill in the restaurant. Goddamn! He already knows that he is sitting in front of a real angel who can perform miracles!! Wouldn't you feel more relaxed?? Bad writing. Also, the angel is knocking out guys after guys in the discotheque bathroom and nobody is noticing it? Don't they come back and warn the next horny guy that she's just beating them up for their money? And why would she beat them when she can put people to sleep with a finger snap? I like the hardcore angel who beats people, but it needed to make more sense. You just needed to delete the scene with the finger snap that puts the girl to sleep, perhaps. Probably she's just punishing the guys for being horny and wanting to have sex with her for money. A bit of a harsh punishment in my opinion. I was impressed to learn that Rie Rasmussen didn't know how to speak French and had intense lessons for three months. My French is a "bit" shit, but it seems like she did an excellent job. I really like this Danish actress. I love the way she moves, her eyes, her poses. She's made this angel a very cool and memorable character.

Cinematography and Themes

I love the cinematography in this one and how Paris is presented. The city of Paris is almost like a character in the film, adding to its romantic and magical atmosphere. Those distant shots of our characters crossing some Paris bridges are still present in my mind. Black and white looks wonderful when you have a very light blonde in a black dress and a very scruffy short man in greys. I also liked the emotion and feeling of the scene in front of the mirror. I think that Jamel Debbouze did a very good job here. There is no Éric Serra in this movie, and that worked just fine. If you are looking for a movie that explores themes of redemption, self-worth, and the transformative power of love, this is a good recommedation. Ok? Ok.

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