City of Angels (1998): Cage Sitting on Things, Looking at Stuff [Joey’s Review]

CITY OF ANGELS is not a bad movie. In fact, it’s pretty enjoyable in parts. For the most part, though, it just sort of is. It exists. It’s a thing that was made that we watched for #CageClub. The script is kind of a mess and at times unfulfilling, but I feel like the criticism I can lobby toward it is not the film’s fault at all. The biggest problem with this film is that it’s the first film Cage made after completing his action trilogy. We went up, up, up! And then this brought us back down.

There are plenty of great Cage movies to come in #CageClub, but this, unfortunately, was not one of them. There’s a lot to like about this movie — Cage is pretty delightfully weird and creepy (in a kind way?) for most of it, Andre Braugher is great, and Dennis Franz as Messinger is the best part of the movie. But it’s hard for any movie to compete with the lunacy of Face/Off, let alone a romance movie that doesn’t deliver on its premise until about 90 minutes in.

That’s why, instead of writing too much about this movie, I’m going to present you with a picture essay I call “Cage Sitting on Things, Looking at Stuff.” In City of Angels, Cage plays an angel. As an angel, he’s spent eternity watching humanity, observing their behaviors, and (when the time comes) shepherding them to whatever comes next. This life of experience doesn’t set Cage up to interact with Meg Ryan any better in the movie, but it does give us lots of shots of him sitting on things, looking at stuff.

As an angel, he’s invisible — unless he wants to be seen. That’s why he’s able to position himself in all of these private, intimate moments, or sit in strange places that would otherwise draw lots of unwanted attention. I grabbed a ton of these screenshots, but there were just as many others that I didn’t grab, because he wasn’t really visible in them. (My favorite one I didn’t grab was him — or maybe just some other angels — sitting atop the Hollywood [Hollywoo?] sign.)

Here he is, staring at a dying girl he’s about to shepherd into the great unknown.

Here he is with Andre Braugher, talking about angel stuff and sitting on top of an exit sign.

Here he is, basking in the happiness of a worker thinking about her new granddaughter.

Here he is, helping out an air traffic controller in a time of need.

Here he is, participating in the daily ritual of enjoying a sunrise/sunset.

Here he is, falling in love with Meg Ryan.

Here he is, realizing he’s (sort of) in the middle of a love triangle.

Here he is, staring at a man reading an Ernest Hemingway book, “A Moveable Feast.”

Here he is, listening to Meg Ryan singing “Stuck on Band-Aid brand ’cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me!” to herself.

Here he is, invisibly spying on Meg Ryan taking a bath. (Come on, Cage. Stop it.)

Here he is, staring over Meg Ryan’s shoulder at his lack of reflection. (He’s invisible!)

Here he is, entering the “Smelling Things” section of this essay, smelling a cactus. Note: as an angel, he has no sense of smell.

Here he is, smelling Meg Ryan’s hair. Note: as an angel, he has no sense of smell.

Here he is, appearing from behind a refrigerator door, finding himself (once again) in that love triangle.

Here he is, sitting atop a construction site, talking about life with Messinger.

Here he is, sitting on top of a bird (?) with Andre Braugher.

Here he ISN’T, not showing up in a Polaroid picture! (Because he’s an angel, duh.)

Here he is, sitting on top of a plane in a hangar with Andre Braugher.

Here he is, pondering cigarettes and smoking and perhaps cancer and death and life.

Here he is, “ghosting” Meg Ryan.

Here he is, longing for Meg Ryan after she just said goodbye to him… forever? (No, not forever.)

Here he is, STANDING atop that construction site, ready to take the plunge and become human.

Here he is, looking at a nurse and talking about how great it is to be out of breath!

Here he is, looking at a pear and missing (the now deceased) Meg Ryan.

How can I watch it? You’ll have to pay a couple bucks to get this one. Unlike the last few, though, it’s not required viewing.

What’s up next? We get one of the most glaring omissions in my Cage viewing history remaining: SNAKE EYES!

BONUS!

Hey look, it’s Nick Offerman!