I’m not much of an action movie fan until the screenplay is backed by a strong storyline. Hey wait!! I think I’ve already told you that. Anyways, so the general kind of movies I watch don’t include many Rocky or Rambo or even Crouchin Tiger Hidden Dragon kinda movies. You get the idea right??

I hadn’t even watched the first 3 movies of the X-Men series when they were released and became a rage among audiences worldwide. It was only after I watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine that I felt very interested in knowing what happened next.

I won’t be describing the storyline in detail about the series here as I usually do in case of my favorite movies, but yes I’d like to share the parts that I found most gripping. The visual effects, sci-fi action and everything is great and all that, but what really interested me was the way each character had its own different and equally strong backdrop. Right from Storm, to Professor Jean to Professor Xavier to Wolverine, every person, or ‘mutant’, if I may say so, had a clearly visible individual mind-set and different reason for doing what he/she did or was doing.

They had their differences in opinion but they were united by the one common purpose of their lives, trying to create the same respect, same acceptance and same living standard for mutants as the world had for humans.

The only thing they wanted to establish was that being a mutant is not a disease which can be cured. If a child is born with some genetic transformation which gives it extra-ordinary powers, it is refered to as a mutant. Thats all. But since humanity considered them as “abnormal” or “inhuman”, there arose a lot of conflicts and the X-Men were brought together to fight against such conflicts and protect the right of mutants to live like everyone else.

The costumes, the make-up, the screenplay – everything was perfect. Above all, the chemistry between the central characters was beautifully potrayed. I mean everything about the theme and the story was so real that I got completely involved in it. It seemed so natural to think that there actually are people in this world who are born with genetic defects. They are looked upon as mentally unstable or abnormal, when in reality, it none of their fault that they are this way. Thats the kind of life God chose for them, and there undoubtedly is something amazing about each one of them. More amazing than the normal people. Only in the movie, that something special was potrayed as some kind of power.

I was compelled to watch the entire X-Men series after watching the X-Men Origins since I found out the amazing start where it all began. And each movie in the four movie series (so far) has been wonderfully exciting to watch. Spent the entire of my last weekend watching the complete series in one go!! And to tell you the truth, I can watch it again..

Directed by: Imtiaz Ali

Now this movie was unexpectedly marvellous. I and two of my friends bunked post lunch college to go home, but decided on the way back to catch the evening show of Jab we met. Honestly, I’m not too fond of Kareena or for that matter Shahid either, but this movie and their performances left me speechless. This was hitherto the only movie in which I enjoyed watching Kareena. And now, I look forward to Shahid movies..

The movie begins on a rather serious note with Aditya (Shahid) seen wandering aimlessly and lost on the streets of Mumbai. The love of his life just got married to someone else, his mother left his father for another man and his father recently passed away. In short.. he has nothing good left in his life. Add to this, the pressure of expectations from him since he is the only hier to his father’s business and now it is his responsibility to run the business.

He just wants to run away from his life. So he walks up to the station and boards the first train he sees on the platform with no idea what-so-ever where he might end up. Enter Geet (Kareena) who is late for the train and is desperately trying to get on it. The movie picks up as soon as she comes into picture.

Geet is this punjabi girl from Bhatinda who was putting up in a hostel in Mumbai completing her studies. She is a complete crazy chatter-box who refuses to stay quiet even for catching her breath. Fate plans to make her sit opposite Aditya in the train. When the ticket-checker asks Aditya for his ticket and he fails to produce one, Geet over-excitedly jumps to his rescue. Quite expectedly, she starts the conversation with him from then.

The movie later for some time sees Geet trying to help Aditya and missing her train in her attempts. She blames Aditya for this and commands him to make her reach home safely with her luggage which went along with the train. Thats how they end up spending about 3 days together, all through the journey from Mumbai to Bhatinda.

They develop this amazing friendship and share things about their life with each other. Geet tells him that she has a boyfriend and she plans to elope from home to get married to him. Aditya tells her about the mess in his life and she actually helps him relieve it a bit. Somehow, they manage to reach Geet’s home and her family welcomes Aditya warmly.

Through it all, Aditya finds himself in some kind of awe for Geet. He is amazed by how impulsive she is. How she just randomly decides to do anything that her heart says without thinking of the consequences. And he finds courage on thinking of her. Geet literally pushes him into helping her to be rejected by a guy who her family chose for her and later to run away from home.

They separate when Aditya drops her off in Manali near the place her boyfriend lives and returns to his life. But he is a changed man. He has a new level of confidence and perspective with which he begins working and takes his business to new heights in a matter of 8-9 months. He even begins to understand his mother and why she left his father and reconciles differences with her. Through all this, he misses Geet deeply and falls in love with her and her memories.

Suddenly one day out of the blue, Geet’s family turns up at his office full of rage demanding that he bring her to them as she hasn’t been in contact for the past 9 months.

This makes Aditya start worrying about her and he senses that something is wrong. He finds out that Geet’s boyfriend had refused to accept her when she came leaving her family behind for him and left her to wander the streets with no idea what to do or where to go.

The rest of the movie shows Aditya finding Geet, who is now changed into this quiet depressed girl and his attempt at making her smile again. He does succeed and Geet realizes how much he adores her. The end to the movie is quite amazing as well. I’m sure you must have watched this one…

I loved the movie for the sheer energy of it. The freshness, the performances, the direction.. everything was so perfect it almost seemed real. Seemed natural and worth connecting to.

This movie surely can inspire you to follow what your heart says but also to be cautious at the same time and not always go with impulse. I totally enjoyed it and still do..

Directed By: Richard LaGravenese

Love is an emotion beyond the limits of time. If you love someone so deeply, that you become habituated to their presence in your life, you can’t imagine what would become of your life when they won’t be around… In the emotion, you even ignore the truth of life that every-one has to leave this world one day. “P.S I Love you” is a story that depicts the coming of age of true love. It states the fact that even if a person no longer lives, his love stays, and helps his partner live life.. again…..

Holly (Hillary) and Gerry (Gerard) are a happily married couple living in Manhattan until Gerry dies of a brain tumor. Shaken by the tragedy, Holly withdraws herself from her family, friends and work. So addicted has she become of Gerry’s presence, that she keeps imagining him around, keeps hearing his voice and talking to him. She doesn’t step out of the house for days and doesn’t bother to clean it either. All she does is, pull out Gerry’s clother from the closet and clutches to them or wears them and roams around the house.

This continues until Holly’s family and friends visit her on her 30th birthday and find out what a mess she, her house and her life has become. They decide to force the young widow to face the future and decide what to do with her life next by pushing her to think about her next career move. While they are still helping organize Holly’s apartment, a cake is delivered and on it is a message from Gerry. It also has an audio tape with it on which is Gerry’s voice.

Initially Holly thinks that someone from her family or friends is doing this to make her feel better. But when she listens to the tape, it turns out that it really was from Gerry. He had arranged a series of letters and surprises to be delivered to Holly after his death since he knew she would be distraught. This was his way of pushing her back to reality and life.

As time passes, each new letter from Gerry fills Holly with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. She is apprehensive of doing some of the tasks assigned to her by Gerry at first, but does them because Gerry had taken a promise from her in the tape. When she actually does them, she feels strangely relieved and filled with energy. Each message from Gerry ends with the sign.. P.S. I Love You……

Watching all this, Patricia (Patricia), Holly’s mother gets concerned that Gerry’s letters are keeping Holly tied to the past. What she doesn’t understand, is that Gerry knew Holly better than her and he knew she would listen to him. He knew what would help her and how. Gerry’s letters were pushing her into the future. With Gerry’s words as her guide, Holly slowly embarks a journey of rediscovery.

Gerry pre-arranged for Holly, Denise (Lisa), and Sharon (Sharon) to travel to his homeland of Ireland, and while there they meet William, a singer who strongly reminds Holly of her deceased husband and coincidentally was his childhood friend. Holly eventually enrolls in a fashion course and discovers she has a flair for designing women’s shoes. A newfound self-confidence allows her to emerge from her solitude and embrace her friends’ happiness. She decides to take her mother on a trip to Ireland, and as the film ends the audience is left with the notion that Holly has opened herself up to the journey that the rest of her life will be, and wherever it takes her; she finally abandons her fear of falling in love.

This movie made me smile a thoughtful smile. It felt so good to witness such a love, be it in a movie. If such love existed in reality, it would be like living in a dream…

The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese (Director) and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The film is dedicated to the memory of producer Molly Smith’s sister Windland Smith Rice.

Directed By: Farhan Akhtar

Music By: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

So.. okay… well.. um….. oh forget it……

Everytime something like that happens during any of my conversations, the first image that pops up into my mind is Saif Ali Khan on the phone with his girlfriend on the other end, with him trying to say something but interrupted with a question each time he utters a single word. And the eventual banging of the phone with him left with…… “hello??”

This is one of the most hillarious Indian movies I’ve ever seen. When this released, it became this national rage with youngsters all over talking about the hep look of the stars, the cool music and the simplicity and wittiness of screenplay. Also very realistic and thoughtful at some points. It was this “strictly to be watched with friends if you want to really enjoy it” kind of movie, but strangely I watched it with my mum on one side of me and my papa on the other……. well, after all, they’re the closest friends I have!!

Akash (Amir), Siddharth (Akshaye) and Sameer (Saif) are buddies, partners in crime you could call them, or more appropriately “The three stooges”! Everywhere they go, they manage to create an uproar of laughter. Their witty one-liners will have you rolling in no time.

Sameer is this perpetually in-and-out of love guy who seems to “fall in love” with every second girl he sees. And each time his justification for his rather casablanc-ish actions is.. “I only thought I loved her (the previous girlfriend), but now I know it wasn’t love…… Love is what I feel for her (the new one)…”

Akash is an intelligent guy who is a highly skilled prankster and refuses to take life seriously. Love doesn’t exist in his opinion. He even very casually ignores a girl in his college who adores him and who everyone including himself is aware about. He’s just too busy cracking jokes, playing pranks on people, having a good time and making the audience laugh-out-loud.

Siddharth is this quiet sincere guy, who is also intelligent and has a sane head on his shoulders. Grown up without his father, he is shown as a mature guy who probably understands life and the hidden facts better than his friends. But he too knows how to have a good time with his buddies.

The first half of the movie is a treat, packed with a huge dose of short, intelligent, situation based jokes and pranks and you’ll probably be reminded of some of your college incidents while watching them. That’s why presence of friends while watching the movie is strictly advisable.

Where do the girls come in picture?

Akash falls in love with Shalini (Preity) who he had met once before at a college party and was attracted to. But was beaten and left with a black eye on flirting with her, as she was the college rugged guy’s fiance. Love happens a little later in the movie for both of them….. yup for Shalini too who falls in love with Akash despite being engaged because she got engaged under the pressure of family expectations you could say, but fell in love with this free willed man-our mister hero. Trouble!!

Sameer, even after his tryst with the fairer gender, is expected by his parents to marry a girl of their choice. When both of them meet for the first time, they are hugely relieved to find out that both of them feel to get married you need to fall in love. They strike a friendship instantly but the girl, Pooja (Sonali) already has a boy-friend. Trouble knocks when Sameer not-very-surprisingly discovers he has “fallen in love” with Pooja..

Sid (Siddharth) is a free lance painter. He meets this woman, Tara (Dimple), who is older to him in age and is divorced and has moved into a house nearby. She shares his love for art and thats what strikes the base for their friendship. As Sid gradually discovers various aspects Tara’s past life and her life at present, somehow, he falls in love with her. Trouble happens when he confesses about his love to his buddies. Akash, who doesn’t believes in love at all is all the more shocked at hearing this as his brain cannot fathom such a thing happening. Sameer is shocked too but doesn’t react as wierdly as Akash who insults Sid’s love by calling it lust and jokingly saying that maybe Sid has just found a trick to have a nice time with a lonely woman.

This aggravates Sid to such an extent that he slaps his best friend and says pretty rude stuff to him. Not understanding was different, but Akash had truly hurt him by insulting his love. That fateful night, Sid and Akash part ways with Sameer torn in between. Thats where the story takes its serious turn.

Watch the rest to experience it.. and if you have……. you know why I love Dil Chahta Hai!!

Written and Directed By : Anubhav Sinha

Dunno how many of you have watched this one. This was a movie with a debutant director, with a totally first-time cast, script-writing etc.. in short, a first time attempt on the whole. Such attempts are released in quite a number in India every year, out of which, most are forgotten easily for lack of a holding story, or faulty direction or poor performances maybe. But this one was very different. So much so, that even after 8 years of watching it, and post hundreds of brilliant movies, it still is among my all time favorite Indian movies…

Shekhar Malhotra (Priyanshu) is a successful business analyst with a leading corporation in India. Sincere, witty, handsome and a nature that is magnetic to most people. About to be awarded for his performance with his company, he’s offered a nice job abroad, but he refuses saying he’s happy living in his own country, though he has no family. On festivals, while the world celebrates with their families, he stands alone and watches silently.

At the award ceremony party, he meets Canada based businessman, Amar Shah (Rakesh), who is almost his age and just as smart. They strike a cord instantly and have a gala time at the party with Amar divulging in Shekhar that he’s the owner of Shah-Industries in Canada and is about to get married in some time. In fact, he’s come over to India to get the Indian bridal attire for his fiance. They get talking, and Amar, who is already aware of the intelligent and popular Indian business analyst Shekhar, offers him to come along with him and join his business. Shekhar refuses again. On this Amar places a 20 dollar bet with Shekhar that he will make him come to Canaa one day.

That same night, when Shekhar and his friend are driving back home, a small kid who is running after her dog comes in-front of his car. To save her, he has to take an abrupt turn resulting in him running over a person walking on the footpath on the other side. The victim dies on the spot. A shaken Shekhar and his friend rush out to see what they can do to help but the person is already dead. When Shekhar turns the dead body over, he finds him to be Amar, the bridal dress still in his hand and his fiance on the phone. Still in shock, Shekhar takes over the phone since he has to inform his folks back home in Canada of what has happened, but on hearing his fiance’s innocent voice and her poem that she had written for Amar, he is left speechless and in a pool of guilt. His friend manages to push him inside the car and run away form the accident scene so that they don’t get caught by the police.

It doesnt take long now for Shekhar to reach Canada, since the guilt has become too heavy for him to handle. He reaches Amar’s home to find Amar’s father in a wheel-chair. Fighting his tears back, Shekhar relates the incidents that happened that fateful night and confesses everything. Just as he stops talking, and sits at the silent father’s feet giving himself up to his decision, the house-maid enters and informs him that the father has stopped talking to anyone since Amar’s death. He doesn’t even listen or pay attention to anything anyone says. Shekhar is again left intact with his guilt… heavier now. He has to find another way to help these people.

He reaches Shah-Industries the next day looking to meet Amar’s fiance and tell her that Amar had offered him to join their company. He hopes to do whatever he can to make Shah-Industries the most successful firm in Canada. He sees Pia (Sandali), Amar’s fiance, and falls in love with her at first sight. But still controlls his emotions since he had come here with a purpose. Pia refuses him to join the company since it was already suffering huge losses after Amar’s death. Somehow, after repeated attempts at convincing her (and some really sweet events in the screenplay that are bound to make you smile) Shekhar proves his worth to Pia by procuring a huge business deal for Shah-Industries. She lets him stay.

Through the days, Shekhar and Pia revive the “sinking ship” that was Shah-Industries. During this time, Shekhar develops a very sweet relationship with Amar’s grand-mother and his sister who see an image of Amar in him and gather strength to move out of their sorrows. Pia too finds a close friend in Shekhar, who on the other hand falls deeply in love with the simplicity, intelligence and innocence of Pia. But he dare not express his love because he had the huge mountain of giult inside him. He knew that the day everyone discovered that it was Shekhar because of whom Amar died, he’ll loose the one family and the love of his life that he had found here.

As the movie progresses, we see Pia developing an intimacy for Shekhar. But she can’t move over Amar. His presence is still with her and if she thinks about Shekhar, her pain surfaces reminding her of her past. She feels she’s betraying Amar by thinking of someone else.

Enter Abhi Gyan (Himanshu). Another very rich, very successful Indian businessman based in Canada who is interested in a business deal with Shah-Industries. Pia and Amar meet Abhi to discuss the deal. Concentrating less on the deal, Abhi becomes instantly attracted to Pia and feels he has finally found the right woman. After meeting them for two or three times, and since all of them are the same age, he gathers the courage to ask Shekhar if he and Pia are going around. When Shekhar, sadly, refuses, Abhi is hugely relieved and confides in Shekhar about his deep liking for Pia.

Now, Shekhar is torn between his own love and the need to be with her, the fact that he is the sole reason for the demise of Pia’s fiance due to which he can never tell her, and another equally deserving person vying for her. He is torn between guilt, duty and love. The picturization of his anguish is so natural and Priyanshu’s acting is so beautiful in those scenes that you actually feel what he’s going through. Thats when he says one of my most favorite movie dialogues of all time, “Ye emotions bhi kitne stupid hote haina…… logic hi nahi samajhte…….” (Emotions are so stupid, they don’t understand any logic).

What happens hereafter, is what I’d like you to watch for yourself. Trust me, if you liked reading the above story, you won’t regret watching the ending.

I can watch this movie over and over again. Amazing direction, fresh and gripping story, and really great performances by the lead actors. Tum Bin refuses to let go of the strings of my heart…

Directed By: Joan Chen

This movie wasn’t a big hit at the box office world-wide, but still is among my all time favorites. The screenplay and performances by the lead actors strung the cords of my heart and left a silent and thoughtful impact on me.

Will Keane (Richard Gere), is a 48 year old restaurant owner. Successful, handsome and sought after by many a woman. He also has a reputation, of being a choosy womanizer. He seems to have commitment-phobia, with a history of a divorce and broken relationships.

When he sees Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder) at her birthday party at his restaurant, he is instantly attracted to her. Though she is half his age, old enough to be his daughter, there is something about her that is very pulling for Will. He walks up to the table to wish her a very courteous happy birthday to find her sitting with her friends and her grandmother, Dolly (Elane Stritch). Now, he discovers what was so familiar. Charlotte’s mother was Will’s ex-lover before she died. Complicated start!!

This, though, doesn’t stop Will from thinking about her. What he doesn’t know is that Charlotte is also secretly attracted to him and has been his admirer since her childhood. (Who wouldn’t be an admirer of Richard Gere. I’ve always found him so attractive and am totally crazy about him even now when he’s almost equal in age to my grandfather!!) anyway…

So, Will calls her up casually and discovers that she has a really creative mind which she applies to designing unusual hats. He asks her to design one for his date to a fancy dinner. She agrees, delighted to do a “favor” for Will. Later, quite predictably but yet excitingly, Will calls her to inform that his date has cancelled on him. He asks her for another favor, and they end up on the dance floor of the fancy dinner party. That kindles the romance between them.

On one occasion, when Will is tempted to bail out with his usual line about “not promising forever,” Charlotte responds with reasons of her own about why she feels this relationship can’t last forever: she’s dying because she has a heart neuroblastoma. While Charlotte finds herself more than just attracted to Will, what she doesn’t know is that he was probably looking for another short, no-strings attached time. Grandmother even tries to warn Will to leave her alone on account of the fact that she is “really sick”.

One fine evening, Charlotte comes home soaked in tears, after learning that Will has slept with someone else, Dolly divulges the details of the past about her mom and Will that she had kept from her so far. Charlotte gets angry with her for not trying to “protect” her especially being the only family that she had in the world. Will visits Charlotte seeking forgiveness. Charlotte though angry, forgives Will and they go on to have a short sweet affair.

One morning, while Will is preparing the Christmas tree and gifts for Charlotte, cutely refusing her to come and see, she collapses. Will rushes her to the hospital, where they share a rather intense but short parting as the doctors take her to the operation theatre.

Charlotte dies and Will is left alone, but he is a transformed man. This was the time, when he had actually found true, un-conditional love. A yearning to be with her, to buy some more time with her if he could. To fight with God to give her a longer life. Just when he had realized the importance of having the one you love with you, he was left alone. Life, had taken its revenge on him for ruining so many hearts.

But he has a softer heart now. The end, sees him sitting on a boat in a lake with his daughter and his grand-child with whom he lives now.

I was deeply touched by the movie and by Winona Ryder’s innocence and Richard’s performance. The original soundtrack of the movie is called “Beautiful” and is sung by Jennifer Paige. Its one of the most wonderful songs i’ve heard.

“I’m looking for a way to feel you hold me,
Feel your heart-beat, just one more time…
Reaching back, trying to touch the moment,
Each precious minute, that you were mine…

How do you prepare,
When you love someone this way,
To let them go, a little more each day…..

The stars we put in place,
The dreams we didn’t waste,
The sorrows we embraced,
The world belonged to you and me…

The oceans that we crossed,
The innocence we’ve lost,
The hurting at the end,
I’d go there again ‘coz it was…

Beautiful……… so beautiful……”

Directed by: Roger Michell
 
Written by: Richard Curtis

This is another one of those romantic movies you might wanna call a little too sugary… but it still is among my favorites. And thats because it brings a fond smile to my face whenever I watch it. Plus I’m totally in love with Hugh Grant’s eyes and British accent and Julia Roberts’ smile. So here goes…

William Thacker (Hugh Grant) owns a bookstore that specializes in travel writing and is situated in Notting Hill. He isn’t coping too well with his recent divorce (in his exact words, his wife left him “for a man who looks exactly like Harrison Ford”) and is currently sharing his house with a Welsh wannabe artist named Spike (Rhys Ifans). One fine morning, world famous Hollywood actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) enters his shop to purchase a book during her trip to London. Thacker is amazed to see the actress in his small shop while being awed by her breathtaking beauty.

Shortly after this, the two collide in the street which causes William to spill his orange juice on both of them. He offers to take her to his house to change which is just across the road. She accepts and while leaving his home, Anna surprises him with a kiss and that marks the beginning of the mutual attraction.

Through a rather amusing turn of events and a twist of fate, William meets Anna again and this time ends up inviting her to his sister’s birthday party. There, at Max (Tim Mcinnerny) and Bella’s (Gina Mckee) house, Anna feels relaxed and comfortable with William’s circle of friends… quite unusual for her otherwise busy and surrounded-by-controversies life. The conversations that take place between all of them and the little “last brownie” game they play are really cute and are bound to make one smile.

They go on several more dates and one evening while returning from a restaurant, Anna invites William to her hotel, only to find her American boyfriend, Jeff (Alec Baldwin) already there. Anna apologizes while Jeff is away, but William is terribly hurt. When Jeff returns, William pretends to be the waiter and leaves.

Some time later Anna arrives at William’s doorstep, hoping for a place to stay, because she was totally stressed out by the current problems in her life. Her break-up with Jeff and some controversial pictures of hers bring printed. William offers her the much needed comfort and the couple bond again.

The next morning, William is stunned to see a large crowd of reporters at his doorstep. Spike had carelessly spoke of Anna’s whereabouts at the pub. Angry at him, as she thinks he betrayed her to gain fame, she leaves in a hurry and William and she part without even saying goodbye.

One year later, she returns to London for a movie and invites him to watch. He overhears her talking to the sound recording artist telling him that William is “just another guy”. Disappointed, William leaves. The next day, Anna comes to the book shop, hoping to resume the affair, and thats when Julia Roberts says one of the most famous dialogues of her career… “I’m just a girl, standing infront of a boy, asking him to love her..”. But William turns her down.

Afterwards, William consults his friends on his decision, and realizes that he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. Henceforth, he and his friends begin the search for Anna, in Max’s car across the streets of London, which is a rather funny sequence of events.

They reach Anna’s press conference before she’s due to leave London. William persuades her in a most romantic way to stay with him forever with an exchange of dialogues which ends with William asking in disguise of a press reporter.. “and what if he were to go down on one knee and beg you to stay with him forever, would you then, by any chance, reconsider your decision?”.

After looking at William to see if he was saying the truth and analyzing how much he wanted her to stay, Anna signals another reporter to re-ask his question which was, “how long would you be planning to stay in London now?”….. and Anna replies, looking into William’s eyes and giving her killing smile…… “Indefinitely..”.

One of the cutest, most romantic proposals ever… You’d love it more when you watch it!!

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…..