Stars: Serge Riaboukine, Jamel Debbouze, Gilbert Melki, Rie Rasmussen

Director: Luc Besson

Summary: From Luc Besson - director of NIKITA, LEON and THE FIFTH ELEMENT, comes this modern day Parisian fable that follows self-described liar and shady businessman Andre (Jamel Debbouze), who is down on his luck and owes money to gangsters.

ANGEL-A follows self-described liar and shady businessman Andre (Jamel Debbouze), who is down on his luck and owes Parisian gangsters money. In a desperate and weak state, Andre finds himself on the edge of one of the City of Light's majestic bridges, ready to plunge into the river below. After one last look around him, he catches sight of a statuesque blonde woman, tears streaking down her gorgeous face, also standing on the ledge just a few feet away. She makes Andre forget about his problems for a moment, and he pleads with her not to jump. She does anyway, and he goes in after her, dragging her to safety. The damsel-in-distress, Angela (Rie Rasmussen), insists on hanging around Andre, doing whatever he tells her, as a way to pay him back for saving her life. Finding it hard to say no to her, and resisting her mesmerizing beauty, he recruits her, somewhat begrudgingly, to help him figure out how to settle his debts. What Andre soon discovers is that meeting Angela was no accident, and that they both need saving, not just from death, but also from themselves.


ANGEL-A boasts entertaining performances by Debbouze as the scrappy and quick-tempered Andre and Rasmussen as the optimistic and unassumingly wise and playful Angela. The unlikely pair sparkle onscreen together. ANGEL-A is beautifully filmed, with the black-and-white cinematography capturing all that is engaging and romantic about Paris.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

It’s been some time some French director Luc Besson stepped behind the camera. And truthfully, Angel-A, good as it is, is a little underwhelming, particularly when you see that Besson’s curriculum vitae includes Leon, The Big Blue and The Fifth Element.

Still, that’s not to say that Angel-A is a film without merit. Quite the contrary, in fact, as this simple, diverting tale has plenty in its corner. Andre, played by Jamel Debbouze, is just about to end his life. When we meet him, he’s heavily in debt and he chooses to drown himself in the River Seine. Yet he’s saved by the mysterious Angel-A of the film’s title (played by Rie Rasmussen), and she offers to help Andre pull through his current problems. Thus, the stage is set for a pleasant, engaging mix of comedy, drama and a dose of romance, made all the stronger by its likeable lead actors.

While Angel-A is undoubtedly lacking the ambition of some of Besson’s earlier work, it’s a film that’s hard not like. It’s beautifully shot, tightly put together and thrives on its ultimate simplicity. It won’t be a dish to everyone’s taste, but it’s nonetheless likely to reward the majority who are tempted to give it a spin. --Jon Foster

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	French
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Exclusive interview with Luc Besson, Making of, Music Video, Making the music video, Trailer
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2005
Release Date:	January 29, 2007
Runtime:	87 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	O P T D 0381
Keywords:	French, Drama, Besson, Angel-a
Genre:	Drama