CITY OF ANGELS

In Los Angeles, there are angels. They live in a vast library, gaining wisdom from the tomes that surround them and eavesdropping on the thoughts of us humans. Every morning they gather by the ocean to listen to the music of the sunrise. In their long black trenchcoats they bear no resemblance to the angels of our childhood dreams... They watch over the sick and dying and help them to make the transition from our world to the next. And sometimes...they fall in love.

Nicolas Cage While books and other movies would have us believe that to be an angel is God's ultimate gift, this movie tends to take a complete turnaround and we are left to believe that it is in fact us who have God's ultimate gifts bestowed upon us...not the angels. However, God in his wisdom has given his angels a gift, that of freewill and it is upon this basis that the film is woven.

In my opinion "Leaving Las Vegas" was the movie that put Nicolas Cage into my "elite" list of great actors. Up until then, although I enjoyed his movies I found there was nothing really that special about him.

In City of Angels" Cage puts in a wonderful performance, this time as an angel who wistfully wonders what it would be like to be human. Whoever said that angels had it all? These angels look like they stepped out of a rock band. They are soulful, beautiful creatures who look upon us as the lucky ones...we can feel, touch, cry, love. They watch over us, care for us and help us to make the transition from life to death but more than anything else, some of them want to be us.

Cage plays the role of Seth, and he plays it well. What I particularly noticed was the use of eye language and facial expressions, especially in the first half of the movie. He's hit upon the right formula of speaking with his face, and conveying emotions without words.

Meg Ryan ditches her usual funny, dizzy blonde role that she has become famous for and puts in an admirable performance as Maggie, a cardiologist who loses one of her patients on the operating table. Seth is there and and for a brief moment she can see him. Thus beings a love story that will transgress the boundaries of life and death and heaven and earth.

This movie tugs at the emotions in ways that few movies do nowadays. We get to feel Seth's unfulfilment at being an angel, his yearning to feel what we feel. Through the characters of Seth and Maggie we see a love that is unbelievable yet we find ourselves believing it...the product of good scriptwriting, directing and acting.

Maggie Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) plays the role of Nathaniel Messenger. He provides most of the humourous elements in this movie. A patient of Maggie's, he's a food loving rascal type who, as it turns out, was once in the same predicament as Seth. Nathaniel Messenger was once an angel who fell in love and made the ultimate choice...he gave up his angel status to become mortal.

I don't want to spoil this movie for those who haven't watched it yet so I'll just say that it is beautifully written, wonderfully acted and it will tug at your heartstrings with full force.

I thoroughly recommend it.

Review by Lynn (Dream Weaver) - lmccorry@space.net.au

Top

NICOLAS CAGE

Real Name - Nicholas Coppola
Date of Birth - 7th January, 1964
Born - Long Beach, California, USA
Married - Patricia Arquette in 1995
Nominations - Golden Globe Awards - Best Actor, "Moonstruck" (1987)
Best Comedy Actor, "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992)
Awards - Academy Awards - Best Actor, "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995)
Golden Globe Awards - Best Dramatic Actor, "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995)
Did You Know - Nephew of Academy Award winning director Francis Ford Coppola

MEG RYAN

Real Name - Margaret Mary Emily
Anne Hyra
Date Of Birth - 19th November, 1961
Born - Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
Married - Dennis Quaid

Top

If you have found this page through a search engine click below to open up the frames that will let you navigate the other pages in this section as well as the whole site. (Note, a new browser window will open up) No Rulz

Movie Logo
The angels gather at the ocean to listen to the music of the sunrise

Seth and Maggie
Nicolas Cage as Seth and Meg Ryan as Maggie

Seth falls in love with Maggie
Seth and Maggie
City of Angels has the same feel to it as "Ghost"

Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage
Seth and Maggie

Will Seth take the leap?
Seth
Will he choose "freewill"

Seth
Seth
Angels can't feel the wind on their faces...