Critic Reviews
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Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Strains to achieve the enchantingly sublime, but ends up sinking to the depressingly ridiculous.
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Emanuel Levy, Variety
As a remake it's not as poetic as Wenders' masterpiece Wings of Desire, but it's supremely mounted (by ace lenser John Seale) and contains touching performances from Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan deviating from their respective screen images.
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Funnier than Wenders' version, and it also succeeds in visualising LA as a magical city while dealing intelligently with the themes of mortality, sacrifice, free will, and the mixed blessings of the human condition.
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Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
My face had been locked in that goofy, awestruck expression you experience only in Spielberg movies. City of Angels demonstrates the best kind of emotionally manipulative filmmaking.
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Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
A lovely oddity.
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Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
It manages to leave a pleasant afterglow for those in the mood for its kind of loving.
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Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Glossy romance as an angel falls for a surgeon.
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Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The movie's eerie, slightly menacing vision of black-clad angels lurking in the shadowy corners of unsuspecting lives is genuinely haunting.
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, Film4
A good deal better than it has any right to be.
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Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
An emotionally uninvolving flick that attempts to play on the heart strings of the viewer and fails in its effort.
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Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
City of Angels is the sort of compromised movie that could have been almost good, but decided to be a great big hit instead.
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Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
City of Angels raises theological questions, albeit in a somewhat pedestrian manner, and makes them an integral part of its otherwise formulaic plot.
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Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Superb imagery can't compensate for deficiencies of Dana Steven's script and can't hide the formulaic nature of this film.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
This useless remake lacks the sheer ethereal beauty of the original Wings of Desire.
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Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
Why would anyone remake Wim Wenders' masterpiece, Wings of Desire? Certainly not for artistic reasons.
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Leonard Schwarz, Palo Alto Weekly
A thinking person's film for those who can't think.
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John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
A beautiful film in many ways.
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Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Marries romance and faith in a love story as charming as a handmade valentine. It is so lovely to look at and so sincere in intent that its flaws don't matter much.
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Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
Walking out of the theater, I felt different. The film made me realize how wonderful life could be, how a thing as simple as wind on your face or the taste of a pear had value.
Read all 19 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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A reinterpretation of the German film 'Wings of Desire', plot of the movie revolves around romance and spirituality. More than often movies of similar genre run the risk of side-stepping in to the lame zone of overwrought melodrama. But director(Brad Siberling) does a… More
A reinterpretation of the German film 'Wings of Desire', plot of the movie revolves around romance and spirituality. More than often movies of similar genre run the risk of side-stepping in to the lame zone of overwrought melodrama. But director(Brad Siberling) does a pretty decent job here without over-polishing the sentiments or pushing too hard for tears. Although its climax will tug hard at your heart strings, when tragedy strikes it's unexpected and makes it very effective.
Credit also should be given to the performance of the lead pair. Nicole Cage, with that soulful eyes and soft-spoken gestures, gives one of his most sublime performances. And Meg Ryan, shedding her customary perky girl image, proves that she is so much more than just a pretty face.
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She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one.
Saw it again! Excellent Movie! One of the best tragic romantic story I have ever seen. Great acting!
Angels are among us and when we feel an invisible presence, you better believe they are watching you. For a Los… More
She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one.
Saw it again! Excellent Movie! One of the best tragic romantic story I have ever seen. Great acting!
Angels are among us and when we feel an invisible presence, you better believe they are watching you. For a Los Angeles heart surgeon named Maggie, that is too much of a stretch. She believes that it is her job to save the lifes of her patients and when she meets Seth after visiting hours are over, he tells her it's simply just their time to go. She becomes intrigued by his presence and opinion. Seth is not just normal, he is an Angel. He meets Messinger while visiting patients. Messinger can see him because he was once a Angel but gave his power up to become human. This makes Seth want to become human so he can feel, smell, and love Maggie.
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A soaring soundtrack and sweeping visuals embellish this tale, like the classic Death Takes A Holiday, of an immortal falling in love with a mortal. The script could use some prayer though.
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A great love story that it is touching and sad at the same time. Nicolas Cage proves once again that he is a great actor as does Meg Ryan.
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Romantic movie about an angel who falls in love with a doctor. He longs to become human to be with her. But their togetherness is short lived. Good cast.
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Nicholas Cage eye-raping Meg Ryan. Awesome.
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City of Angels made me cry alot. A beautiful story about falling in love.
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A dire remake of Wim Wender's classic. Hollywood bile.
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tis really is a lovely classic movie!
cage is an angel who fulls in love with meg ryans character who she plays a doctor saving people and thats where they meet at the hospital as he takes people spirits back to heaven, with this story they only let people who the want to actually… More
tis really is a lovely classic movie!
cage is an angel who fulls in love with meg ryans character who she plays a doctor saving people and thats where they meet at the hospital as he takes people spirits back to heaven, with this story they only let people who the want to actually see them and he lets ryan see him but as he can never die or grow old he wants to full which willl stop him from being an angel
this is lovely romcom but with more romance than comedy its lovely and sad but really worth a watch!
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A provocative and dark love story. Another great performance from Cage.
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A sappy movie - chick flick type. Nicholas Cage has to decide between the immortality of an angel vs mortality and the love, feel and touch of Meg Ryan. If you haven't seen the movie, don't read any reviews until after you have seen it. I need to see the movie Wings of… More
A sappy movie - chick flick type. Nicholas Cage has to decide between the immortality of an angel vs mortality and the love, feel and touch of Meg Ryan. If you haven't seen the movie, don't read any reviews until after you have seen it. I need to see the movie Wings of Desire now.
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It is so gd, and it is so sad, and it is so touching...even as an angle does not mean you will be happy ever after...
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Incredible melodramatic fairy tale of a heavenly messenger who falls in love with Earth-bound surgeon; their hesitant, sensuous relationship unfolds against the actual West Coast "city of angels" - teeming with dark-cloaked apparitions perched on billboards and tall… More
Incredible melodramatic fairy tale of a heavenly messenger who falls in love with Earth-bound surgeon; their hesitant, sensuous relationship unfolds against the actual West Coast "city of angels" - teeming with dark-cloaked apparitions perched on billboards and tall buildings.
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A really dopey version of a great film.
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Color me a romantic, but I loved this movie.
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OMG, I love this movie. Its so sweet.
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drawn out and boring. had some redeeming moments but not enough. nicholas cage's internal battles or whatever bored the hell out of me. overall a very simple plot.
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A truly romantic movie, some might call it chick flick. But the images of the angels watching over the city and the people from their unusual spots stay with the viewer for a long time. Visually stunning and well acted, especially by the wonderful Dennis Frantz, until the ending… More
A truly romantic movie, some might call it chick flick. But the images of the angels watching over the city and the people from their unusual spots stay with the viewer for a long time. Visually stunning and well acted, especially by the wonderful Dennis Frantz, until the ending leaves you sad, yet not entirely hopeless.
Great soundtrack, too. For couples who enjoy a good cry.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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