Review of City of Angels (1998) by David A — 06 May 2010

(from The Watermark, 04/12/98).

If a buggy-eyed Nicolas Cage appeared before you, started speaking cryptically, and then said he was a messenger of God, what would you do? Yeah, I'd call 911, too. But Cage can't help it; he's an angel, one of many who dress in long black overcoats, help people through crises, and accompany dead souls to meet their maker. Cage has fallen in love with Ryan, an L. A. heart surgeon who is in a bit of crisis herself over losing a patient. Even though angels by trade are unable to be seen or touched by humans, Ryan is somehow capable of seeing Cage and falls in love with him, too. Once Cage learns he can become human if he wants, he must decide if he is willing to do so for Ryan.

What is most lacking in this languid, pensive film is simple common sense. Ryan accepts Cage into her life without reluctance, even though he seems to be a wacko. Once Cage becomes human, he acts like a confused foreigner, even though he has spent his whole existence observing our behavior. And with his new ability to feel, the visual medium of film can't completely convey the experience as well as, say, a novel could. As a staunch Nicolas Cage hater, I found him to be just as detached and unimpressive as always. Ryan, on the other hand, can do no wrong in my book. The combination of these two is surprisingly good, though the film seems to fall into a weird genre-mix of manipulative surrealist romantic drama. Maybe it will start a trend and someone will eventually get it right. QUEER QUOTIENT: Cage has an extremely brief nude scene. But the real sexual thrills happen when Cage's former-angel friend goes skinny dipping. Too bad he's played by Dennis Franz.