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Summary: "City of Angels" Amplified
Review: "City of Angels" is not really about angels nor is it a conventional love story. Rather, it is a film of colors, archetypes, symbols and dreams. It is a meticulously constructed filmplay on healing the soul, finding wholeness and spirituality within, accepting what you may not like about yourself, and integrating parts of yourself you may have hidden or put on hold for a while (especially while building a career). Much symbolism in the film comes from mythology and early Christianity (particularly Gnosticism). Folks who have gone through analysis -- particularly Jungian -- probably see many of the symbols and archetypes immediately. Religious studies professors may be intrigued or intellectually chagrined by the allusions to Gnosticism. But even those of us with such backgrounds will need to see the movie several times before all the images bubble to the surface of consciousness! The film is heavily laden with symbolism. It drips with it. For me, discovering all the layers turned into a puzzle requiring Jungian-type amplification (digging into the meaning of everything). I am not, however, going to give hints to discovering the "secret knowledge" hidden in the film. One must experience it oneself (a basic Gnostic belief, I have learned). The good news -- after deconstructing this film beyond reason, I still love it. I love the music (especially the chanting of "Angelus" as Seth "falls"). The archetypes, symbols and hidden meanings do not detract from the story. The story remains is a thing in itself-- a unity. The hidden content does not change the meanings either, but rather allows the viewer a (separate) deeper understanding of human relationships and the healing of the soul. I recommend this film to psychology and religious studies professors, who could challenge students to find the Gnostic Christian, mythological and Jungian content. By the way, a deeply Christian viewer need not fear watching the film because of the Gnostic symbolism. The screenwriter(s) clearly place their interpretation of Gnosticism within monotheism and Godliness. There is no evil (no Satan)-- only the shadow figure which all humans carry within. Maggie is not the reason Seth has "fallen." Both Seth and Maggie are incomplete human beings. They fall in love -- a very magical, profound love -- as mirror images of hidden parts of themselves. At the end, we see that Maggie integrates Seth-ness into herself, and Seth integrates Maggie-ness into himself. And, not to spoil your own journey of discovery, I will leave it at that. This is a very profound film. Unfortunately it was beyond the critics and everyone else who knights and awards great films.
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Summary: Those Eyes
Review: "Did you ever get the feeling that there's something bigger out there, bigger than you?" 'City of Angels'is about an angel who 'falls' in love with a 'human', but is bigger than that. Director Brad Silberling creates a movie about the essence of life. His tools are Academy Award winning director of photography, John Sealeand composer Gaberial Yared to score the movie. Enhancing this movie are two American icons, Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan and a Grammy rich soundtrack which features; Alanis Morrissette (Uninvited), Sarah McLachlan (Angel),Paula Cole (Feelin' Love), Jimi Hendrix (Red House) and the Goo Goo Dolls (Iris). The celestial love story begins when Seth, Nicolas Cage, the angel, comes to claim the life of a heart patient. Maggie Rice, Meg Ryan, is the patient's doctor. There sult of this loss to Maggie is devastating. She begins to question life itself, "We fight for people's lives...don't you ever wonder who it is we're fighting with?" Witnessing her heartache, Seth tries to comfort,console and heel Maggie, but he too begins to question things. "She looked right at me." He tells his friend Casiel. Leading us to believe he sees more in Maggie than her pain. Lovely lines of dialog exchange between Seth and Maggie throughout the movie, but few more powerful than their first meeting. "Are you a visitor?"says Maggie. "Yes." "Well, visiting hours are over." "Why do they have that?" Seth asks. "What? Hours?" "Doesn't it help the patient to be visited?" "Are you in despair?"Seth. "I lost a patient." "You did everything you could?" "People die." Seth "Not on my table." "People die when their bodies give out." "It's my job to keep them from giving out, or what am I doing here?" "It wasn't your fault, Maggie." "I wanted him to live!" "He is living, jus tnot the way that you think." In Seth's attempt to help Maggie he creates a confusing mess of feelings for her and himself. No spoilers here, but this love story makes us think and wonder. 'City of Angels' is complete and feels like home. Like many things in life that we take for granted... Seth discovers, a sigh, a flower, blood, love and breath. Like a child they are all new to him and they are for a brief moment new to us as well. Also, like much of life we are always searching and questioning. Seth believes he has found love and has a to choose between God and Life as a mortal. What are your soul searching questions? This movie makes you ask yourself that question. Through powerfully tuned cinematography and a deeply moving score, City of Angels, the film, is allowed to whisper in your ear. Listen to the rich dialog, harmonious character interaction and robust story telling. It does it with wit and charm. Once seen and heard you will never forget it. This brings to mind what I believe sums up 'City of Angels' to me, emotion means the movement of the mind brought on by something which affects it... "Your mind and your feelings become to powerful and you just can't contain it...and your body weeps." I was affected and I wept.
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Summary: MY FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME
Review: QUITE A TRAGIC MOVIE BUT IT MADE ME LAUGH, CRY AND REALISE THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN WHAT WE THINK. SETH'S COMMENT OF "I WOULD RATHER HAVE ONE BREATH OF HER HAIR, ONE KISS FROM HER MOUTH, ONE TOUCH OF HER HAND THAN AN ETERNITY WITHOUT IT" SAID IT ALL ABOUT TRUE LOVE . A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MOVIE
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Summary: 'In the arms of an angel'
Review: I just loved this film. It was so touching and it made me cry. When you see the trailers for it, you immediatly assume that it is a typical love story: Guy and Girl meet, fall in love and are together forever. Yet, this film is different, the ending is tragic, its just so sad that two people have found each other and then...well I've pretty much given it away now, but to sum the film up-'just great'. Both of the actors, and all the rest of the cast, are really convincing, and they take you along on a flood tied of emotions. They carry you-'In the arms of an angel'. Simply the best!
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Summary: Don't be fooled...
Review: This movie is not about angels and it's not about an angel and a human getting hooked up. These misconceptions cause people to miss the point and not enjoy the movie nearly as much as it can be enjoyed. This movie is about what it means to be human.
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Summary: Girl meets Ghost, a love story for the new millenium.
Review: Big budget, rework of European classic, heavy below the line (talent) costs. In this day and age you're usually looking at the recipe for (non)success. Attach Brian Grazer or Peter Guber, and you've increased those odds tremendously. City of Angels does not fail, however. Perhaps it's the impassioned story of Wim Wenders, nare-to-be-deflected in the mish-mosh of American remake. Maybe its just that we love Meg Ryan pretty much every time she tees it up, and Nick Cage is fine when he stays out of the way, which he does here expertly. Maybe its because one of our most beloved actors today, Dennis Franz, finally gets a movie role which complements our preconceived notion of the man, rather than playing against that type. The John Seale photography is right on target, as is the beautiful Gabriel Yared score. This film finely fits what I like to call....'there's absolutely nothing wrong with it' type of movie-great for couples, or the man with an easily exposed 'sensitive' side.
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Summary: Spooky yet wonderful
Review: Okay, I don't know how many of you walked out of the theaters looking over your sholders or looking up at the roof of the building, but I sure did! Story - creative, wonderful, touching Actors - wow, I wanted to KISS Cage, Ryan you sure are lucky. Thye guy had me convinced! Effects - well since there were NONE.... I can't really bash them can I? Overall - Great love story although I really HATED the ending... Buy it, you won't be disappointed!
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Summary: For everyone who has ever wondered what true love is . . .
Review: When me and my boyfriend saw this film for the first time, we were both gob-smacked. Before seeing it, we assumed that we were in love as deep as is possible - but that was soon proved to be wrong! This film is for anyone who has ever been in love, is in love, or has ever wondered what love is. I can assure that if you are a compassionate person, it will take your breath away! Needless to say . . . we are now engaged! Enjoy, but remember the hankies!
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Summary: Great Story, Poor Acting
Review: The plot of this movie is great...a doctor, an angel...a love story that surpasses mortality. However, the choice of actors made it unbelievable. Cold, hard, criminalistic, and very fake, Nicholas Cage is no angel. Cutsie Meg Ryan hardly makes a realistic surgeon. Trying a little hard to be artful, the director failed in bringing it all together in a complimentary, workable way. Although, now that I know the story, I'm dying to see "Wings of Desire" on which it was based. It has got to be better than this one.
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Summary: City of Angles! where is it? I want to go there.
Review: I've watched this movie over and over again. Brad Silberling, the director, has done a miracle himself and he isn't even an angel, so I think. This movie will dig down and bring to surface many emotions within you. It's not abotu the "which one's" but rather "the how" that intrigues me. Usually with any given moive there is a plot, climax, and your good old ending. There are very few moives that can portray many climaxes and still follow an orderley plot. Each step of this moive evokes a hard to express feeling which by the end will have you in "ah".
All this talk and I haven't said what the movie is about. In short it's about Angles overlooking us and their thoughts and emotions about "life" in general.
There are few people that say this movie was a clone of "Wings of desire" which too is about angels and was made in Germany back in 1988 or so. I personally think that movie is on another dimention and was targeted for a much more older and mature audiance. In other words for people who've gone through much of their life time and now like to sit back and reminisce about the old days.....
By the way "wings of desire" is mostly in German and french with english subtitles which can distract some of the monolingual viewers :)
City of Angels on the other hand is easy for all ages to grasp and enjoy watching and is sure to leave a great impression on you. So stop what you're doing call your girl/boyfriend man/women and watch this moive. And if you end up hating it then don't blame me just blame it on the rain.
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