Movie Review: Angel-A

I watched the movie Angel-A last night knowing nothing about it except that it was recommended to me through Blockbuster.com. I watched it and thought about it, then went to sleep, then woke up and thought about it some more. What I came to realize is that the more I think about this movie, the more I'm convinced that it doesn't make any sense at all. All I can say is... what is up with the plot? Much like when an older person tries to work a computer for the first time, the plot was a little confusing at first, became clearer, and then totally went off the wall and did its own thing and I had no idea what was going on.

Through my experience, whenever an angel is introduced into a movie this usually means that there is a moral to be learned by the end. The movie heads in this direction, with its message of "love is essential for good self-esteem," but in the end leaves me totally confused and a little disturbed. What starts off as a twisted, French, and comical "It's a Wonderful Life" quickly turns into the story of a fallen angel. We find out through the course of the movie that this isn't a story about an angel helping a poor little man get his life back together, but rather showing that God is a big "meanie". I mean, poor Angela can't even get some smokes up in heaven!

Angela is essentially asking to get kicked out of heaven from the moment we meet her (with her excessive violence, magic tricks, robbery, and toying the with the idea of prostitution now and again), but to what end? What bothered me the most about this movie is that neither character let themselves think about the big picture or the greater good. Andres (the little man) says it best in the end, when Angela is praying and asking God what to do, whether she should stay with the man she loves or go back to heaven, he says, "Leave God out of this for once". What??!! She's an angel! If she leaves God out of it she'll stay on Earth, and then she's going to hell. All for cigarettes and sex, and love with a little man who, according to her, will have a wonderful life without her. And, when exactly did these two fall in love so deeply? This movie was madness! Madness, I say!

I apologize if I spoiled anything for you movie-watchers out there, but it all had to be said. And, I just wanted to let you all know this movie wasn't a complete waste of time. It was interesting to watch, I didn't know what was going to happen next, and at several times I found myself giggling at the witty conversations. But, I felt like this movie was telling me that cigarettes = freedom, and God = Stricty McStrict-Pants.