Angel-A (directed by Luc Besson) is a modest, upbeat comedy about a meager thief who gets a little help from above to pay off his debts.
Anyone who has seen The Fifth Element knows that Luc Besson loves to inject steroid-size style into his pictures. But he switches up the ways he does it. The Professional is heavily stylized but not overtly. Much of the appeal falls back to Jean Reno's stern demeanor or Gary Oldman's crooked expressions. The Fifth Element is all about color, action, techno, and Ruby Rod. Angel-A wrangles a bit of both and lobs it into the middle of black-and-white Paris.
The result is a very beautiful and entertaining love story. But that's about it. Besson is not going for action or depth (contrary to some amazon reviewers). He's going for simplicity, levity, and classic optimism. Of course, there's still a bit of techno, and some sex and fighting that goes on behind the scenes.
Since it's just a straight-forward love story, the two central characters have to carry the load. Jamel Debbouze and Rie Rasmussen work great visually, but still leave something to be desired. The odd couple makes a quaint little comment on interracial couples, and the switching of stereotypical behaviors (woman as protector) is a nice variation on say...Casablanca. And they have some quick-witted exchanges that are fun to watch. All in all though, they can't really transcend the style. So as beautiful as the black and white is, I wish there was some color somewhere in here.Netflix rating: 3 stars
RIYL: Paris je t'aime, The Crow, Wings of Desire
Youtube: trailer
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