City of Angels

A movie about Nicolas Cage as Seth, a restless angel drawn to one of the humans he’s supposed to comfort — Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan), a beautiful heart surgeon.

In the world portrayed in City of Angels, we’re all surrounded by dark-clad individuals who watch over our shoulder, guiding us when we need guidance and taking us away when it’s our time. They’re everywhere and they hear our thoughts. Problem is, they can’t feel what we feel. When Ryan’s character experiences a huge loss in her life, Seth begins to feel more than his dutiful concern for her and slowly he begins to appear to her more and more often in human form…

I suspect City of Angels is going to remind many viewers of Ghost, but there’s a big difference: this film is more true and less manipulative. Ultimately, it is a tear-jerker, but there’s more to it than that. While the movie isn’t as effective as Wings of Desire in developing the angels’ culture and presenting a meditation upon spirituality, it gives us a pair of well- developed protagonists worth caring about and establishes a complex dynamic between them.

City of Angels is more romantic than profound, but Dana Stevens’ script is thoughtful and intelligent, and I never felt insulted by what the characters say, do, or think. Director Brad Silberling, effectively suggests the spiritual/material duality of the world. It’s a subdued motion picture, but the lack of overt melodrama makes for a moving and involving story. Even for those enraptured by Wings of Desire, City of Angels is strong enough to cast its own quietly romantic spell.