When asking the average film lover regarding Luc Besson’s work and their favorite movie of his, a common answer would be Léon: The Professional. I am personally not too familiar with his work, but I know in the last decade he has come out with widely accessible films, that have ranged between action and sci-fi flicks.
This last week I watched Angel-A, which is a french black & white film directed by Besson. Although I have not seen the entirety of his discography, I have seen titled like Léon, The fifth Element, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
The film tells the story of André, a scam artists who has many debts to pay to different people. As he anxiously evades these men of whom he owes money, he meets Angela. A strikingly beautiful who helps the man gets him game back together.
The beginning of the film does seem a little nerve racking, as we see André get approached by these dangerous men who he owes money. André life seems very scattered at this present moment. It isn’t until Angela who arrives when the tone of the film takes a bit of a u-turn. It goes from a nervous brooding drama, to a lighter more thoughtful melodrama. It is not a complete contrast from the first act of the film, but it is visibly different.
I found this to be a very enthralling viewing experience. For starters, our two leads have great chemistry and they bounce very well off of each other. The black and white look of the film, makes for a visually arresting watch.
Sappy, overdramatic films or ones that have kind of tone aren’t really my thing, but I really liked the sweet, tender nature of this film. None of it is ham-fisted, and that is part of the reason why I tolerate here.
Unfortunately it does descend into a very foreseeable and predictable ending, that pretty much undermines itself as a whole. However I believe it is still worth a watch.
Cedric Cinema 