City of Angels (1998)

Director:

Brad Silberling

Writers (WGA):

Wim Wenders (screenplay) &
Peter Handke (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one.

Plot:

Inspired by the modern classic, Wings of Desire, City involves an angel (Cage) who is spotted by a doctor in an operating room. Franz plays Cage's buddy who somehow knows a lot about angels.

Plot Keywords:

Depressing | Guilt | Heaven | Hospital | Library

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Seth
Meg Ryan	...	Dr. Maggie Rice
Andre Braugher	...	Cassiel
Dennis Franz	...	Nathaniel Messinger
Colm Feore	...	Jordan Ferris
Robin Bartlett	...	Anne
Joanna Merlin	...	Teresa Messinger
Sarah Dampf	...	Susan
Rhonda Dotson	...	Susan's Mother
Nigel Gibbs	...	Doctor
John Putch	...	Man in Car
Lauri Johnson	...	Woman in Car
Christian Aubert	...	Foreign Visitor in Car
Jay Patterson	...	Air Traffic Controller
Shishir Kurup	...	Jimmy, Anesthesiologist

Also Known As:

Stadt der Engel (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality including language, and some nudity.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #35791) | Brazil:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario - 2006) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Hungary:14 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Atlas Entertainment

Trivia:

The concept of angels moving among the living, hearing their conversations, experiencing beauty that humans rarely stop to enjoy or even notice, yet not feeling any emotion or passing any judgment, was first discussed in the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke, specifically, his collection The Duino Elegies.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Meg Ryan listens to Dennis Franz's heart with her stethoscope, she places the stethoscope in her ears backwards. (Ear canals angle forward and stethoscopes do likewise--putting them in backwards is painful and can also prevent them from working) Ouch!

Quotes:

Maggie Rice: We fight for people’s lives, right?
Maggie Rice: Do you ever wonder who it is we're fighting with?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Marci X (2003)

Soundtrack:

Uninvited

Very Romantic ... Very Good ...

I thought City Of Angels was very good. I'm usually very critical towards movies, but City Of Angels got to me. Meg Ryan usually plays in Romantic Comedy's (Sleepless in seatle, You've got mail) but this time, City Of Angels, admittedly a Romantic film, but it isn't a comedy. Far from it, it's a drama in all of its aspects. And Meg Ryan converts to that change very well. She acts great in this movie. It wasn't an easy part for her, there is a lot of crying involved, and a lot of dramatic moments in her characters life.

As goes for Nicolas Cage's character. Oh my god, he plays Seth with such excellence. Really, i don't think that anyone else could play the part as great as he did. The way he looks, the way he moves .. so cool.

Ok the storyline is a little unbeleivable, but you musn't be held back by that fact. Just beleive the unbeleivable. Just go with the plot, and follow the movie closely.

I'm not suggesting that City Of Angels is the best in it's sort. It won't win any oscars, but what i am saying, is that it's a nice movie, with great actors, great music and a good storyline which rolls towards very emotional ending.

You won't be dissapointed.