REVIEWS

"CITY OF ANGELS"

I've never seen "Wings of Desire," but I've heard great things about it. I'll probably go out and rent it soon. I really like the concept. Recently, "Wings of Desire" (which is a German film) was remade for American audiences. Most of the time that a great foreign film is remade for the American public, the result is pretty disappointing. Case in point, "Point of No Return," which was an American remake of Luc Besson's classic, "La Femme Nikita." Incidentally, the American TV series is based on the French version, not "Point of No Return." Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, I've yet to see "Wings of Desire," but the general consensus is that it's a masterpiece. Well, its American counterpart, "City of Angels," is no masterpiece.

Nicolas Cage is a great actor, but in most of the movie, he has this puppy dog "gee whiz, I love her so much" look on his face, and it doesn't work. Towards the end though, he makes up for all that. Meg Ryan (who I was never a big fan of, but she really impressed me in "When a Man Loves a Woman") is fine, but not excellent. Andre Braugher as the friend of Nicolas Cage is really good, but it's Dennis Franz who steals the movie. Fans of "NYPD Blue" will be happy to know that in "City of Angels," you get to see his flabby bare ass again.

More than anything, it was the dialogue that I had problems with. It was so painfully corny, it would make Frank Capra squirm. It was directed by Brad Silberling whose only significant work prior to this film was "Casper." He did an okay job, but the pace was a bit too slow.

I'd like to see "Wings of Desire" and compare the two films. I don't know, maybe I'll have problems with THAT one, too. Personally, I doubt it very strongly. Pass on this American film and go rent the German flick. Lemmie know how it is, okay?

Scale of 1-10: 6