City of Angels

Cast: Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz, Colm Feore, Kim Murphy, Deirdre O’Connell

Written By: Wim Wenders, Peter Handke, Richard Reitinger, Dana Stevens

Cinematography: John Seale

Directed By: Brad Siliberling

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I thought it only too appropriate that the first review in My Favorite Movies should begin with this one… 

The movie begins at a rather intense scene with doctors trying desperately to save a girl from dying on the operating table. Watching the commotion through the window is Seth (Nicholas Cage) who is just one among the many Angels who reside in Los Angeles and keep an eye on people. They are the messengers from God, unseen by human eyes, who come to show the path to salvation to the souls who’ve just left their bodies. You figure all this out only when the little girl dies despite all attempts by doctors to save her, and is seen walking out of the hospital holding Seth’s hand. And then you can see them all on the screen… Angels, dressed in black attire, invisible to the people around, standing possibly everywhere…… just watching…

In the same very hosipital, some time later doctors are seen trying with all their might to save a man from dying. Even when hopes are at the bleakest possible point, surgeon Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) makes vigorous attempts to revive the dying man… but in vain. Later, to such an extent is she moved by her unability to save that life that she sits alone while tears run down her beautiful eyes. All this is watched by Seth, who is impressed by the surgeon’s earnest attempts and sincere anguish and her failure. He falls in love with her…

He makes himself visible to her and tries to talk to her on various occasions. They become friends and a mutual attraction develops between them, even though Maggie is being pursued by one of her colleagues at the hospital. Seth even tries to get close to her but is unable to satisfy her questions regarding his identity. This makes Maggie stressed and move away from him. But soon after, at a party hosted by one of Maggie’s patients Nathaniel Messinger (Dennis Franz) Seth’s invisible presence is compromised when Nathaniel sense’s that he’s there.

When Seth and he get talking, and Seth relates his love for Maggie, Nathaniel tells him that he had once been an angel but decided to become human for a woman whom he loved, who was now his wife, through the process of, what he called as, “falling”. Seth is by now so deeply attached to Maggie, that he decides to give up eternity and the position he had as messenger of God to become human….. to accept mortality… only in order to be able to be with her, touch her, let her feel him… sense her…..

And he does it… he turns human… but little did he know that while he was considering these thoughts, Maggie had been proposed by her colleague… and now she was standing on a crossroad… choosing between a person that had the same needs, wants and feelings as her…… or Seth, who she was so attracted to…..

Seth turns up at the hospital after turning human to find Maggie missing. Her friend informs him that she had gone to her uncle’s mountain cabin for a break. Fighting all problems that humans face, Seth somehow manages to reach Maggie’s doorstep at the cabin in a worn-out and badly wounded condition. There, while cleaning his wounds… Maggie opens up and tells him that she couldn’t marry her colleague because she was in love with him…….. and for the first time, they become one…..

The next morning, as Seth enjoys his first experience of a hot shower, Maggie who is making breakfast for them decides to bring in some groceries. She rides her bike to the local store and on her way back enjoys the morning breeze and the feeling of being in love…… that’s when… out of nowhere, a truch carrying logs of wood appears on the road…….. and Maggie crahses into it…..

Seth hears the truck horn, senses Maggie is in trouble and rushes out to help her. He reaches in time for Maggie to tell him that she sees the Angel who has come to take her….. Though Seth in no longer an Angel, he knows they’re there… and he begs to make this one exception…… to leave Maggie behind… for him…… Maggie tells him she’s not afraid… and that when they ask her what her favorite thing in life was… she’ll say it was Seth…….

… I find tears in my eyes whenever I watch it… and I feel glad at having described in my own words, one of the most beautiful love stories ever written…..

“And I’d give up forever to tough you,
‘coz I know that you feel me somehow…
you’re the closest to heaven, that I’ll ever be
and I don’t wanna go home right now..

And all I can taste is this moment..
And all I can breathe in your life..
but sooner or later its over,
I just don’t wanna miss you tonight…

And I don’t want the world to see me,
‘coz I don’t think that they’d understand…
when everything’s made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am…… ”

Lyrics from “Iris” – the Original Soundtrack from City of Angels

One of my all time favorite songs…..