If Luc Besson holds true to his claim that he will direct only ten films, Angel-A is his last movie ever (I choose not to believe him). Angel-A is a blend of Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire), It’s a Wonderful life and even shares a sentiment or two with Manhattan. A decidedly French endeavour (although without the over the top emoting that often comes with French acting) Angel-A is the tale of an angel’s attempt to get a consistently hapless man’s life back on the rails.

Luc Besson not only directed but also wrote Angel-A, and it is in this second part of the job that he does not deliver.

Angel-A is visually striking. It is Luc Besson’s love song to Paris and I can’t remember when the city has looked better. Besson’s Paris looks hazy, drowsy and beautiful. Angel-A is shot in black and white, although Besson sometimes infuses a bit of colour to give specific scenes a sepia- or green tone. The black and white photography is not a trick, at least does not feel like one. The monochrome style has a purpose; because of it the images feel brighter, sharper, clearer somehow than colour footage could have achieved.

But the script could have done with a few more drafts (or a good script doctor). Where I applaud the absence of the over the top acting that so often comes with French movies (and which I abhor), this script is too plain. What is supposed to be witty philosophical banter between our angel and her charge André, often does not have the quality of formulation to pull that off. That is not to say there is no merit at all in what is written; sometimes Besson manages to convey what feels like truth. But where the visuals consistently had me wanting to see more, most dialogue parts of Angel-A made me wish for the scene to move on already. The difference between these two is too big, making for an inconsistent experience that diminishes the whole of Angel-A.

Also, I had a slight issue with the religious politics of Angel-A. Although André’s religious beliefs are not brought up, his Algerian background is. André himself refers to himself as “an Arab”, and although his ethnicity is not an issue in the film (a joke or two notwithstanding, the André role could be played by an actor of any ethnic variety), his Muslim background is implied. The angel however, is of a decidedly Christian representation. More than once Besson points the audience specifically in that direction. The idea of a (possible) Muslim adhering to Christian mythology, rubbed me the wrong way. Not merely in view of current world affairs violently driving that point home, or because I am an agnostic brat, but also because this is a pitfall that could have been avoided (again with the script doctor), and therefore a dissonant in the storytelling.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD***
Last but not least, although the entire premise of Angel-A is fantastic (to say the least), the ending seemed silly, even in view of the farfetched story, and although I appreciated things coming full circle, the way this was visualised was too big a strain on my suspension of disbelief.
***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER***

The city of Paris shares its leading role in the film with Rie Rasmussen as the angel and Jamel Debbouzze as André. Rasmussen makes for a beautiful angel. Cutting a figure of at least six foot tall (five foot of which are made up of leg), wearing the littlest of all black dresses and killer heels, Rasmussen epitomises the current western beauty-ideal. But she is a crappy actress, unable to portray the emotions that the part demands of her. She is simply in over her head, even if she is physically perfect for the role. By contrast, Debbouzze is spot-on. He plays André as a schmuck who (literally) can’t get arrested, adding a wry self effacing humour that makes André pathetic but not unsympathetic. And as André discovers himself on his journey through the film, Debbouzze is genuinely moving in the sincerity of his emotions.

Here’s hoping that Besson has changed his mind since making that “ten films”-comment. Angel-A is the work of a gifted director with a lot more to show us. Although Besson should leave his stories in
the hands of a more capable writer, his directorial merits are undisputed. Or at least they should be.