Angel-a (2005)

K: This is the type of film that I find very difficult to describe, plot-wise. It is a French film about a good man who needs saving--mostly from himself. In a fit of pique at the world, he makes a show of killing himself by jumping off a bridge into the Seine. Whether he would actually do it or not is anyone's guess, because before he can decide one way or the other, he sees a tall blond woman jump into the water. He jumps in to save her, and is in turn saved from having to make good on his suicide threat. The series of events that follow change him in a way that is difficult to describe without sounding corny. "He learns to love other people by loving himself" sounds pretty after-to-school-special, but trust me, it's awesome.

It is done in black-and-white and I honestly don't think that it could have been done in color. It is a bit shocking to see high-grade special effects done in black and white and the result is quite haunting.

The lead actor is phenomenal. He plays an extremely difficult role, and he nails it. His transformation is dramatic, but also completely believable. I'm going to look for more of his work.

The lead actress seemed a bit forced I couldn't tell if a native speaker would find her more stilted or less. Anyway, one could probably argue that the distance in her voice added an otherworldly quality to her character. If you wanted to be all hoity-toity about it.

I would highly recommend seeing this film on the big screen. There is something about it that reminds me of 1930s expressionist film--a genre that is best seen BIG.