City of Angels
When Hollywood needs a miracle, they turn towards the Heavens. How else do you explain Hollywood’s fascination with and audience’s acceptance of films about Angels? Maybe it’s because they’re eternal. Maybe it’s because Hollywood can reinvent the same film and make lightning strike twice. “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” becomes “Heaven Can Wait.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” becomes “It Happened One Christmas.” “A Guy Named Joe” becomes “Always.” “Angels in the Outfield” becomes, well, “Angels in the Outfield.” Then there’s German director Wim Wender’s “Wings of Desire.” I loved “Wings of Desire,” and so did Hollywood. I knew it was just a matter of time before they Americanized it.
That brings us to “City of Angels,” the American version of “Wings of Desire.” It stars Nicolas Cage as Seth, one of hundreds of angels who wander around Los Angeles, making people feel good. He’s smitten with a heart surgeon named Maggie (Meg Ryan), who is beating herself up over the loss of a patient. When he’s not hanging out at the local library with other angels, or at the beach for the sunrise or sunset, Seth is following Maggie around, but not in a weird, stalker sort-of-way. He’s in love, even though he doesn’t know what love feels like.
All he knows is that he wants to be with her, much to the chagrin of fellow angel Cassiel (Andre Braugher). So convinced of his love for Maggie, he allows himself to be seen by her. She has no idea that Seth is an angel, but there are clues. He gives himself away when he slices into his thumb while helping her make a salad and doesn’t bleed. Maggie freaks, which convinces Seth to take the “fall” that will turn him into a mortal. He does, and just when Maggie and Seth think they have found true love ever after….oops, no more. See the movie. Have tissue handy. “City of Angels” is such a lush and romantic film.
Cage and Ryan are absolutely perfect as Seth and Maggie. There wasn’t one moment where I felt I was watching a performance. Dennis Franz is outstanding as heart patient Nathaniel Messenger, a fallen angel who is now feeling the strains of mortality on his human soul. I invested myself so thoroughly into these characters that I felt their highs and lows. Director Brad Silberling does a splendid job on “City of Angels.” He delivers a film filled with heart and soul. Dana Stevens’ touching screenplay recalls but doesn’t rehash the Wender’s film. “City of Angels” succeeds on it’s own merits.
COMPLETE CHECK-UP
VISION: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
A heavenly widescreen digital transfer in the film’s original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, enhanced at 16:9 for widescreen televisions. What more could you want? A superior transfer on all counts. Striking colors, invincible blacks, and natural and appealing flesh tones. No compression artifacts or pixelation. The images are solid. The DVD features the film and scene access menus on one side, and all of the extras on the flip side.
HEARING: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track is as pure and honest as a church choir. The sound mix is superior. Just feel Gabriel Yared’s soulful score embrace you as it fills the room. The dialogue is strong and clear, while the front to back separation helps cement the film’s ethereal feel. Do yourself a favor and check out the Dolby Surround Stereo French language track. The dubbing is so precise you would swear that the cast is speaking French. The sound isn’t nearly as dynamic, but is superb for a foreign language track. Booming basses and sharp high ends, plus pin-drop accurate ambient noise completes the package.
ORAL: [ ] EXCELLENT [ X ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Closed captioned in English, subtitles in French.
COORDINATION: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Gosh, is there such an animal as too much of a good thing? Warner Home Video consistently amazes me with their Special Edition DVDs. They understand the medium and exploit it to the fullest. If all DVDs came with the extras that “City of Angels” does then I’d even buy crappy movies I hate. That’s not a problem with “City of Angels,” because not only do I love the film, but I love the DVD just as much. Here’s why:
» The “City of Angels” DVD features no less than three additional full-length audio commentary tracks, plus two more abbreviated commentary tracks on the flip side. By far the most interesting belongs to director Brad Silberling, who actually watched the film while delivering his narrative. This helps keep all of his comments in context with the film. There’s also a running audio commentary with producer Charles “Chuck” Roven and screenwriter Dana Stevens. Their narrative is more businesslike and seems to have little to do with what’s on the screen, plus the audio level is extremely low. Then there’s composer Gabriel Yared’s lush score on an isolated track, with the composer adding his comments during the non- musical moments. The flip side features several scenes from the film with two additional commentary tracks. Director of Photography John Seale checks in with his thoughts on the difficulty of shooting such an ethereal film, while production designer Lilly Kilvert takes us through the process she went through to make what’s on the screen look as real as possible. This abbreviated session is a brilliant idea in which to feature behind-the-scenes talent who might not have a while movie’s worth of narrative in them.
» There’s a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of “City of Angels” that seems to cover all of the bases, from producer Dawn Steel’s desire to remake Wim Wender’s “Wings of Desire,” to Nicolas Cage’s fear of heights. The documentary is very engaging, and quite fulfilling. We get to see rehearsals, watch Meg Ryan prepare for her role as surgeon by slipping on those darned rubber gloves, and hear the cast and crews views on the subject matter.
» “City of Angels” also features a special effects documentary that takes us through the film’s extraordinary visual effects. This is accomplished by showing us the various stages of the effects. It’s amazing how we take for granted scenes that look so natural and realistic, only to learn that the conditions were less than perfect.
» Six deleted scenes from the film, and a director’s montage called “Killing Your Babies.” That’s industry lingo for scenes the director loves but can’t use. The DVD allows you to watch the scenes as they were shot, or with commentary featuring Silberling and Stevens. Do both, because the duo explains the reasons the scenes didn’t work within the context of the film.
» Visual exciting interactive menus are some of the best I have ever seen. They capture the very essence of the film and make navigating through the DVD’s many features a breeze.
» Extensive cast and crew bios that go the extra distance. All of the major players in front of and behind the camera are here, not just the stars and the director.
» “Angels in the Movies,” a quick lesson on how Hollywood has embraced the notion of Angels in the movies.
» Two complete music videos by U2 and The Goo Goo Dolls.
» VH1 Music Television interviews with Peter Gabriel and Alanis Moriseette about their involvement in the film.
» A sales trailer for the film’s soundtrack on CD.
» The film’s original theatrical trailer.
» “Reel Recommendations,” spotlighting other Warner Home Video titles with similar themes, plus four more theatrical trailers for “Addicted to Love,” “The Bodyguard,” “Fallen,” and “Michael.”
» One little criticism: The text on the back of the DVD box has two misspellings. The title of the film in the synopsis is spelled “City of Angeles,” which is close but no cigar; and in the Bonus Feature box, Cinematography is spelled “Cinemagrapher.” Ouch!
PROGNOSIS: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
“City of Angels” deals with life and death issues, but the film should have a long and healthy life on DVD.
VITALS: $24.95/Rated PG-13/114 Min./Color/40 Chapter Stops/Snapcase/#16320
ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen
PATIENT: CITY OF ANGELS – SPECIAL EDITION
BIRTH DATE: 1998
HMO: Warner Home Video
