Film Notes: Angel-a

Angel-a is (2005) director Luc Besson's fantasy tale of a down on his luck petty gambler (Jamel Debbouze) who owes money to several unsavory Parisian loan sharks and who is saved from suicide on the Alexander III bridge by a beautiful blond haired angel named Angela (Rie Rasmussen). Most of all, however, Angel-a is Besson's gorgeous black and white love letter to the city of lights. Angel-a, which narratively recalls Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and which visually recalls Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (1988) is not likely to please the comic book action adventure crowd, but for those of you interested in film and particularly cinematography as art, check out this cinematographically stunning film.