City of Angels A Movie Review	MPAA Rated - PG-13 It's 1:56 Long A Review by Stu Gotz

I must say that I was quite taken back by her response because I thought the movie was great, if not almost really great. So I asked, "Alright Abby, what didn't you like about it?" "For starters, I thought it was too slow," she quickly bounced back. OK, I'll give her that. The movie was a tad bit slow, but it certainly didn't drag on like Harrison Ford's "Mosquito Coast" or the supremely well acted, but I found boring, period drama "The English Patient." The parts that were slow, for me, were the musically filled scenery interludes that I guess might have been added by an overly zealous director of photography. Scenes like that seem better suited for your epic films like "Dances with Wolves" or "Far and Away," and really seemed like a waste in "City of Angels." So, I said, "Yea, it was a little slow in spots, but not that bad." Abby then quipped, "And you know, it was a little sappy." I thought to myself, "Hey... It was a romantic drama. What the hell are you expecting, an encore action performance by Nick Cage ala "Con Air"? I don't think so." I kept my mouth shut on that one because I could see she was set in her ways, and my continued argument would lend to an early evening.

So anyway... I got the chance to see "City of Angels" the other day, and in case you're too dim-witted to figure it out from the opening paragraph, I enjoyed it and my friend Abby didn't. I must say that I was a bit apprehensive going into this movie because of the recent "Angels are everywhere" craze that seems to sweeping our pop culture. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy all that hippie-guru "I see Angels and can talk to them" crap that is being spouted out by book authors and TV shows. I'm not doubting that angels exist, in fact I do believe they are a creation of God and used in his mysterious ways. I just don't think God allows his employees to visually fraternize with us without his express consent, and even then I believe such cases to be very discrete. Anyhow, "City of Angels" espouses the theory that we are surrounded by Angels every day in every way. They all dress in black, hang out in libraries reading over our shoulders, often prevent us from doing real stupid shit, and are there to guide recently departed souls to their Heavenly reward. OK... What do I know? I'll go along with all that, and I'll even add that I think they're the ones who hide our stuff when we really need it, just for shits and giggles. Come on, did ya' ever spend 20 minutes running around your house frantically looking for your car keys only to find them in plain view on the table you searched eight times - I rest my case. Anyway, getting back to the movie ... Nick Cage plays an Angel who falls in love with Meg Ryan (and who in their right mind wouldn't?) because of her compassion for life. This really sucks for Nick because as an Angel, he has no sense of physical touch and is supposed to be impartial and without emotion. Obviously Nick is no common Angel because he does have emotions, and so strong are his feeling for Meg that he breaks his Heavenly bond and "falls to earth," thereby becoming human. Being human, now Nick can feel Meg (hubba hubba), and be with her not only emotionally but physically (sha-wing!). Hurray!!! Right??? Wrong... In breaking his heavenly bond not only does the newly mortal Nick get to experience physical love, but he also gets a taste of his own blood and the emotional heartache attached to loosing a loved one. That's right folks. After giving up his mortality for her, Meg up and dies. Oops ... Did I spoil the end? Too bad. Anyway, it is exactly this sad ending that makes "City of Angels" an almost great movie to me, because if you've read enough of my stuff you'd know I really don't like happy endings.

So, I loved the fact that this movie didn't have our main characters living life happily ever after. I thought Nick and Meg had great chemistry, and next to Jodi Foster I really don't think you'll find an actor using better facial expressions than Mr. Cage. But, like Abby said, and I explained, for me the movie was a tad bit slow too many times. All that being the case, I give "City of Angels" 4 of 5 stars. Knock off those musical interludes and it would have added another half to maybe a whole star. Oh well, I'm Stu Gotz, and it's a great film! 'Nuff said.