Angel-A

Angel-A

Directed by	Luc Besson
Produced by	Luc Besson
Written by	Luc Besson
Starring	Jamel Debbouze Rie Rasmussen Gilbert Melki Serge Riaboukine
Music by	Anja Garbarek
Cinematography	Thierry Arbogast
Edited by	Frédéric Thoraval
Distributed by	EuropaCorp
Release dates	December 21, 2005 (2005-12-21)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Budget	$1.2 million
Box office	$9.9 million^[1]^[2]

Angel-A, directed by Luc Besson, is a 2005 French fantasy and romantic drama film featuring Jamel Debbouze and Rie Rasmussen.

Plot

A freeze frame shows Andre (Jamel Debbouze), who describes himself via a voice over, stating that he lives in America though is currently in Paris. Andre concludes that he is a good guy, though laments that he is lying all the time, including to himself. When the frame unfreezes, Andre is slapped to the ground, and three thugs demand he pay back the money he owes. In the next scene, Andre is shown being held over the railing of the Eiffel Tower by a bodyguard of Franck (Gilbert Melki), who also demands Andre repay him owed money. Desperate, Andre pleads his case to both the American embassy and a Paris police station, though neither is able to help him.

Andre decides to kill himself by jumping off a bridge into the Seine, but first he notices a beautiful young woman (Rie Rasmussen) who is also standing over the railing. The woman jumps off the bridge, and Andre jumps in after her, dragging her to safety. The woman states her name is Angela, and that she jumped because she had the same problems as Andre. In order to thank him for saving her, Angela pledges her life to Andre, stating she will do everything she can to help him.

Andre goes to visit Franck, believing that Franck will respect him more if he has a beautiful woman with him. Franck is uninterested in Andre, but accepts an offer from Angela to discuss Andre's case in private. When Angela emerges, she informs Andre that his debt has been cleared, and gives him a large amount of cash. Andre eventually accepts the money, though is reluctant to do so, believing that Angela slept with Franck to get it. Upon realising that he needs more money, Angela agrees to help him, and the two go to a nightclub. One by one, Angela lures men into the toilets with her, promising them sex in exchange for money. Andre is disgusted by what Angela is doing, and protests with her. Later, the two of them go to another club to pay off his remaining debt. Andre meets Pedro (Serge Riaboukine), and offers to repay him. Pedro advises Andre to bet the money on a horse, telling him that the race has been fixed. Angela advises him against it, but Andre bets all their money on the horse, which comes last.

Andre finds himself desperate again, whereupon Angela informs him that she is actually an angel sent to help him. Andre is incredulous at first, until Angela demonstrates she has divine powers, such as the ability to levitate objects. Andre is fascinated, and tries to learn as much as he can about Angela. The three thugs from the beginning of the film confront Andre; Andre asks Angela to take care of them, and she knocks them all unconscious. Angela helps Andre find the courage to see the good within himself, and also reveals that she did not have sex with any of the men in the bathroom or with Franck, rather she knocked them all unconscious.

Angela convinces Andre to confront Franck, and be honest with him instead of lying. Angela breaks into Franck's hotel room after knocking out his guards. Franck believes Andre is about to kill him, and pleads for his life. Andre apologizes to Franck for borrowing his money, stating he should not have done it. He then tells Franck of his love for the woman who came into his life and opened his eyes. Angela, who is emotionally moved by Andre's speech, leaves. Andre pursues her, eventually catching up to her on the bridge where they first met. Angela reveals that she is going home as her work as done. Andre pleads with her to stay, professing his love for her. An emotional Angela tries to reason with Andre, stating they cannot be together. She sprouts wings from her back, and begins to ascend, though Andre grabs hold of her. They crash into the Seine for the second time. Andre climbs out of the water and Angela climbs out after him. Angela has lost her wings, and she rejoices when she sees Andre.

Cast

Jamel Debbouze as André Moussah
Rie Rasmussen as Angel-A
Gilbert Melki as Franck
Serge Riaboukine as Pedro

Release

The film premiered in the United States at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It grossed US$9.99 million worldwide, including over $200,000 from the United States.^[1]

It holds a 44% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 89 reviews, with the consensus "The clunky dialogue and shallow characters fail to capitalize upon Angel-A's stunning, poetic cinematography."^[3]

References

1 2 "Angel-A". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
↑ "Angel-A (2005)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
↑ "Angel-A (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 7 January 2015.

External links

Angel-A at AllMovie
Angel-A at the Internet Movie Database
Angel-A at Rotten Tomatoes
Angel-A at the TCM Movie Database
Angel-A at Box Office Mojo

Luc Besson

Directed	Le Dernier Combat (1983) Subway (1985) The Big Blue (1988) Nikita (1990) Atlantis (1991) Léon: The Professional (1994) The Fifth Element (1997) The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) Angel-A (2005) Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010) The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010) The Lady (2011) The Family (2013) Lucy (2014) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Produced	Le Dernier Combat (1983) Subway (1985) Nikita (1990) Atlantis (1991) Cold Moon (1991) Nil by Mouth (1997) Taxi (1998) Taxi 2 (2000) Kiss of the Dragon (2001) Wasabi (2001) La Turbulence des fluides (2002) The Transporter (2002) Fanfan la Tulipe (2003) Les Côtelettes (2003) Michel Vaillant (2003) Taxi 3 (2003) District 13 (2004) Taxi (2004) Revolver (2005) The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) Transporter 2 (2005) Unleashed (2005) Angel-A (2005) Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) Bandidas (2006) Love and Other Disasters (2006) Nuovomondo (2006) Tell No One (2006) The Secret (2007) Taxi 4 (2007) Hitman (2007) Taken (2008) Transporter 3 (2008) District 13: Ultimatum (2009) Home (2009) Staten Island (2009) Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010) From Paris with Love (2010) 22 Bullets (2010) Colombiana (2011) The Source (2011) A Monster in Paris (2011) The Lady (2011) Lockout (2012) Taken 2 (2012) No Limit (2012) Collison (2013) Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2013) 3 Days to Kill (2013) The Family (2013) Brick Mansions (2014) The Homesman (2014) Taken 3 (2015) The Transporter Refueled (2015) The Warriors Gate (2016) The Lake (2016) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Written	Taxi (1998) Taxi 2 (2000) Kiss of the Dragon (2001) Wasabi (2001) Yamakasi (2001) The Transporter (2002) Fanfan la Tulipe (2003) Taxi 3 (2003) Michel Vaillant (2003) Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004) District 13 (2004) Revolver (2005) Transporter 2 (2005) Unleashed (2005) Bandidas (2006) Taxi 4 (2007) Taken (2008) Transporter 3 (2008) District 13: Ultimatum (2009) From Paris with Love (2010) Colombiana (2011) Lockout (2012) Taken 2 (2012) 3 Days to Kill (2014) Brick Mansions (2014) Lucy (2014) Taken 3 (2015) The Transporter Refueled (2015) The Warriors Gate (2016) The Lake (2016) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

TV series	No Limit (2012) Taxi Brooklyn (2014)

See also	Filmography EuropaCorp

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