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Angel-A a film by Luc Besson

So here is the scenario, if you will. André is a down-on-his-luck (and big time) two bit Moroccan-born, Parisian-bred street hustler who, about to be rubbed out by about a dozen different thugs, decides to end it all by leaping into the Seine. Enter Angela, a six foot tall blonde bombshell with legs all the way up to Heaven and with a penchant for all-out sluttery. She too is leaping into the Seine in order to end it all and with that, André forgets about his own plight and dives in to rescue the apparently drowning leggy damsel-in-distress. In return for this selfless act of heroism, Angela vows to become, more-or-less, André's slave - gleefully doling out any demand he can come up with. Now I do not think there are many men who would say no to this scenario and Luc Besson never once tries in any way to disguise the male fantasy which this film so certainly is. Instead letting it hang out there for all to see - and for some to salivate over. Certainly though, the idea of male-schlubb-gets-hot-chick is nothing new to even the most moderate viewer of such tv fare as "The King of Queens" or any of its many doppelgangers, nor is it anything different from the slew of Judd Apatow (and his many doppelgangers) films. I am tempted to place my own marriage in here as well, if only I could own up to my own schlubbiness. Of course with most of these shows and movies, we should suspend disbelief and just laugh-for-laughs-sake. In Besson's case, he almost goes for seriousness - if not in his storytelling (for it is rather funny at times and should be considered farce) then in his pretentious auteurness. Perhaps not nearly Godardian as one might aspire it to be, and far from unpredictable (I don't think anyone need worry about giving away any surprise plot points that don't already hit one across the face about a mile away), Besson's film still flies as sort of a visually-snappy screwball comedy done to the tune of Wim Wenders. [06/01/07]

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