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City of Angels

City of Angels

Drama · Fantasy · Romance · 1998

When a guardian angel – who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles – becomes captivated by a strong-willed heart surgeon, he ponders trading in his pure, otherworldly existence for a mortal life with his beloved. The couple embarks on a tender but forbidden romance spanning heaven and Earth.

Movie details

City of Angels

“She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one.”

1998 Drama · Fantasy · Romance 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

When a guardian angel – who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles – becomes captivated by a strong-willed heart surgeon, he ponders trading in his pure, otherworldly existence for a mortal life with his beloved. The couple embarks on a tender but forbidden romance spanning heaven and Earth.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over City of Angels?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

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Chris Nielsen dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he died, his wife Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in Hades for the small chance that he will be able to bring her back to heaven.

What if...

What if...

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Fifteen years ago, Ben Walker made a decision to leave his college sweetheart and ultimately his faith, in order to pursue a lucrative business opportunity. Now with a high-paying career and a trophy fiancé, he is visited by an angel, who gives him a glimpse into what his life would look like had he followed his calling.

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Not Easily Broken

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A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.

The Last Tycoon

The Last Tycoon

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Monroe Stahr, a successful movie producer, pursues a beautiful and elusive young woman — all the while working himself to death.

Moonlight Mile

Moonlight Mile

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The Yellow Handkerchief

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Fallen

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Drama · 2016

Lucinda Price is sent to a reform academy under the assumption that she has killed a boy. There, she meets two mysterious boys, Cam and Daniel, to whom she feels drawn to both. But as the love triangle unfurls, it is Daniel that Luce cannot keep herself away from, and things begin to take a darker turn when she finds out his true identity.

Sweet November

Sweet November

Drama · 2001

Nelson is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV, he meets Sara. She is very different from the other women in his life. Nelson causes her to miss out on taking the test and later that day she tracks him down. One thing leads to another and Nelson ends up living with her through a November that will change his life forever.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Brad Silberling

Written by

Dana Stevens

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage

Seth

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan

Maggie

Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz

Messinger

Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher

Cassiel

Colm Feore

Colm Feore

Jordan

Robin Bartlett

Robin Bartlett

Anne

Joanna Merlin

Joanna Merlin

Teresa

Court is in session

Put City of Angels on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.