City of Angels . Tucson Weekly . 04-27-98

City of Angels

DIRECTED BY: Brad Silberling

REVIEWED: 04-27-98

Meg Ryan plays a doctor who operates on human hearts, but is--oh so ironically--unsure of the nature of her own. Nicolas Cage plays Seth, a creepy angel of God who falls in love with her. Though reportedly inspired by Wim Wenders' wonderful Wings of Desire, City of Angels has none of the intelligence or charm of its predecessor. Instead, Cage follows Ryan around Los Angeles in a late-eighties trench coat, striking poses as though in an Aramis commercial. Who wants a guardian angel if all he does is stare at you, and touch you all the time? The rest of the time he hangs out with the other angels, who are as thick as flies at the public library, where they "live." Living, in this case, consists of shuttling from one side of the library to the other with zombie-like detachment. I don't think anyone in the audience would have been surprised if the angels started feasting on human flesh like actual zombies, their salient characteristic being that they are not human (as opposed to, say, spiritual). Seth perks up a little when he becomes Ryan's boyfriend, but overall this movie falls tantalizing close to the so-bad-it's-good-category, without actually making it over the hump. Not surprisingly, annoying drone/chant music is featured throughout.

--Richter

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