Angel-A (DVD)

Parisian petty criminal Andre is in big trouble as his many debts are called in by the local kingpin. So he decides to end it all by drowning himself in the Seine. But as he stands on the edge of a bridge, ready to throw himself in he meets another desperate soul. He saves the tall and beautiful Angela after she takes the plunge. To thank him, she determines to help him. But there's something a little strange about this blonde Amazon…

...would stop directing after his tenth film and "Angel-A" is the movie that brings him into double figures, so this could be his last. I think that would be a shame because he has given birth to some iconic characters and always writes strong female roles. But I suppose it's better to burn out than fade away. "Angel-A" is a less action-oriented, softer piece than his usual work that goes for mood over action. In his hands Paris ... more

Parisian petty criminal Andre is in big trouble as his many debts are called in by the local kingpin. So he decides to end it all by drowning himself in the Seine. But as he stands on the edge of a bridge, ready to throw himself in he meets another desperate soul. He saves the tall and beautiful Angela after she takes the plunge. To thank him, she determines to help him. But there's something a little strange about this blonde Amazon…

"Leon" director Luc Besson has always said that he would stop directing after his tenth film and "Angel-A" is the movie that brings him into double figures, so this could be his last. I think that would be a shame because he has given birth to some iconic characters and always writes strong female roles. But I suppose it's better to burn out than fade away. "Angel-A" is a less action-oriented, softer piece than his usual work that goes for mood over action. In his hands Paris becomes a fairytale metropolis where anything can happen and everyone deserves a second chance. It is shot in sparkly black and white that lends a dreamlike quality befitting the magical realist subject matter. That explains the childlike thugs hassling Andre for money and Angela herself. But there's also a darker side to the movie that is reflected in the film noir styling. Deals take place in shadowy clubs filled with suspicious men in suits and our bumbling hero is dragged up to see the big boss by his hired henchmen.

The monochrome visuals are a handy metaphor for a film that revels in contrasts. Just look at the lead actors; a stocky, swarthy little man and a platinum blonde with legs up to her armpits. Andre is brought from the depths of despair to virtual euphoria and we are shown multiple versions of events and left to decide which is true. And for every sunlit afternoon there is a dark smoky night where menace abounds. But it's not a chin-strokingly serious movie by any means. There's a vein of dark humour running through it that works because Besson isn't afraid to go to extremes or just throw out a joke and move on. He's possibly a little sentimental about his characters, but he doesn't overdo the schmaltz so you empathise with them. But though the film is a mere ninety minutes, it has something of a trance-like pace, so at times you may wonder where it's going. So if you're hoping for high-octane action, you'll be disappointed.

Besson's screenplay is surprisingly soft-hearted for a man that's made most of his money from big action movies of one sort or another. It plays like a modern French version of "It's a Wonderful Life" only instead of Clarence you get a leggy blonde do-gooder with attitude and a taste for cigarettes. And instead of reviewing the past actions of the would-be suicide, you see his realisation of his potential for good. Andre is everything Angela is not; deceitful, cowardly and apologetic, whereas she is straight-talking, pro-active and forceful. They are polar opposites and that's why they make such a good team. While his personality is clear from the get-go, her identity is kept determinedly fluid, allowing Andre and the audience to read into her what they will. Though initially impassive and even harsh, she eventually thaws and that's when you start to like her as a person, realising that she too has wants and needs. Their conversations are staccato bouts of antagonism that try to force Andre into thinking about himself differently. There are flashes of humour as Angela gives him alternative versions of events to choose from. However, you may find that though Andre is working to a tight schedule that the film has a tendency to meander and intermittent flurries of action are interspersed with prolonged periods of what could be referred to as navel-gazing.

Stand-up comedian turned actor Jamel Debbouze is a pudgy, squat little fellow that has the kind of tragic-comic face that often signals one of life's losers. As Andre he is both endearing and frustrating as he tries to get his life back on track by profiting from the wages of sin. He shambles around as though waiting for the next blow to fall and when confronted takes off on convoluted flights of fancy that only threaten to get him into more trouble. He shoots his mouth off and doesn't know when to stop. All the time you feel like he's calculating the odds and coming up with the wrong answer. He shares an odd but nice chemistry with his female co-star, though you can well understand her annoyance with him.

Danish former underwear model Rie Rasmussen is a striking physical contrast to Debbouze, towering over him in her stilettos and appearing to be made entirely of straight lines and angles where he is constructed of rubbery curves. Unsurprisingly she has tremendous poise and great posture that makes her seem by far the more powerful of the two. She's intimidatingly sexy and sassy to the point of being harsh. She delivers her lines with straightforward intensity and never lets her co-star off the hook for a second, so there's real spark in their exchanges. And unusually for a model turned actress, she seems to have some acting ability, showing emotional range when required.

Paris is virtually a character in its own right thanks to the loving way Besson shoots the city. Alluring and fantastical, it also has the ability to oppress with its baroque cafes stuffed with decoration and mirrors and to unsettle with its preponderance of dark corners. But even the smoky nightclubs have a sleazy glamour that belies Besson's attitude to his home town.

The original music by Anja Garbarek adds to the overall dreamlike quality of the movie. It opens with ticking and tootling synthesized strings that are soon joined by chiming bells. Much of the music puts me in mind of mid-90s Bristol dub of the likes of Portishead, particularly when trance-like male vocals kick in. the tempo occasionally shifts with jazz clarinet motifs, but slides down a gear once more with laid-back dance tracks before sloping off into ethereal solo female vocals and sleepy dub. I think it enhances the film, but it does lull you into a meditative state.

"Angel-A" is an odd film that will no doubt divide audiences. While some will appreciate the magical realist approach to this supernatural romance, others will be frustrated by its lack of impetus. It looks beautiful and the cinematography alone is worth seeing, but it doesn't feel substantial enough to leave a lasting impression. I'm still not entirely sure whether I enjoyed it because it started to fade from my memory even as I was washing it. Perhaps it's one of those films you should just allow to wash over you instead of trying to devour it. 

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