Well, for something that started out as a sweet film, this one ended powerfully and completely shifted gear. I actually expected Meg Ryan to play an angel in this film but turns out Nicolas Cage was (on second thought, I only saw male angels, which is strange). As the title suggests, City of Angels is about an angel, and the decision he has to make between living as a human or continuing to live as an immortal angel after he falls in love with Meg Ryan’s character, Maggie, who is a heart surgeon. So one of those films about making a huge life choice and sacrificing something for love. Obviously this type of romantic drama is right within Meg Ryan’s domain so I was interested to see how Cage would fare in this genre (recently, I’ve just seen him in so many action films). And I’m glad to saw Cage really held up well − he is a versatile actor and I don’t think people give him enough credit.
It did begin as a slightly strange, unlikely story. For one, I thought it was almost a parody of The Matrix when we first see the crowd of angels all dressed in black robes standing on the beach during the sunset. Anyway, so Cage plays an angel named Seth (which interestingly was the name of the god of darkness in Egyptian mythology − something which obviously doesn’t fit with his character in this film, so therefore probably irrelevant!) He spends time watching humans, communicating with those who are dying or delusional, or being as he says, “a messenger” (or as he tells Meg Ryan, he is a “messenger of God” − which just completely bewilders her). Seth becomes attracted to Maggie while watching her during surgeries and decides to let her see him (as angels are invisible unless they want to be seen) and they meet in the hospital. After that first encounter, Maggie is clearly falling for him and starts to think about him (angels can read minds). So we see her in the bathtub thinking about Seth, who is meanwhile a few feet away watching her − slightly stalker-ish! They meet a few more times in the library and park and it is clear feelings are developing between them. Though it was slightly strange to see the other angels all gather at the huge library where they meet and who are all watching Seth and Maggie like dark, ominous shadows. Also chilling was when one of the patients says to Seth, “I can’t see you but I know you’re there.” Though fortunately, it turns out to be a former angel, Nathaniel, who actually helps bring Seth and Maggie together.
The encounters between Maggie and Seth really varied. I mean, at one point when she is clearly confused and asking him questions, she says, “Why do you wear the same clothes everyday?” I had to laugh because that was quite a plausible question someone suspicious would be asking. But then a few scenes later, she cuts his hand to see if he bleeds. She saw Seth cut his hand and it there was no sign of a wound but the way she just dug the knife into his hand to test this, she would have had to be 100% sure it wouldn’t bleed. Slapping his face I could understand, but not cutting him! Also weird that she seemed to start believing he might be something else after seeing the photo of him where there is just a flash of light in place of where Seth was sitting − it could have been just a bad photograph! I mean, is that really enough evidence to start doubting herself − I guess, she was really in love and wanted to trust him so she opened her mind to any ideas.
Also, it was unrealistic the fact that Seth chose to observe Maggie and she became the object of his affections after he watched her perform surgery on a patient who dies. And from then on it’s like he is probably neglecting his duties watching other people and spending way too much time with her − but hey, they’re angels so I guess it’s not like he can really get into trouble for that! but one of the scenes I like is when he asks her to describe what the pear she is eating tastes like, in the words of Hemingway (who she had just read).
On a side note, I’ve never been present during a surgical procedure but it struck me a little to see them play music and chat and laugh while operating − I thought it would be quieter and they would be more serious while focusing on saving the patient (who did end up dying). I also didn’t really like how her boyfriend (who seems kind of distant to her), proposes to her in the changeroom − not with a ring but just saying “think about it” − I don’t think it was an appropriate time or place.
I really liked the second half of the film, especially after Seth chooses to be a human. After he falls from the building (which he needed to do to become a human), his character completely changes − one of the nearby construction workers remarks about him taking drugs, which is what is seems like. Definitely not the “wooden” actor some people have described Cage as. But unfortunately, he really chose the wrong time to become a human, as then he has to figure out how to get to the town where Maggie and her boyfriend are supposedly getting married − without using his angel abilities. I actually think he could’ve got the best of both worlds by staying as an angel and just allowing Maggie to see him, while still retaining his “special powers”. In the scene at the library he got to touch her and he wasn’t human − I didn’t quite get that but that would mean, unlike what is said in the film, he wouldn’t need to become human to “feel” things. The part when we see Maggie blissfully riding her bike and glancing at the clouds was just very unsettling. The whole time I was just thinking: “You’re going to get killed”, and not surprisingly, she gets hit by a truck. It was very horrible to watch Seth, who had just sacrificed everything for her, see the one he did it for die. Quite ironic too, that he becomes human and not soon after she crosses to the other side (and as they mention at the start, she can’t become an angel, which could’ve led to a swap in roles where she could instead watch over Seth). Anyway, I thought even Seth could’ve commit suicide in order to see her in heaven but at least we see him at the end of the film, splashing in the waves (I thought he might drown) and seeming to come to terms with his loss and trying to move on and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
4/5
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