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 Angel-A
Starring: Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen, Olivier Claverie, Gilbert Melki, Kate Nauta, Serge Riaboukine
Directed by: Luc Besson
Screenplay by: Luc Besson
Release Date: May 25th, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
 Domestic: $202,647 (2.0%)
Foreign: $9,792,521 (98.0%)
Total: $9,995,168 (Worldwide)
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 Tagline: A man meets a woman in Paris…
Down-on-his-luck petty criminal Andre (Jamel Debbouze) has reached the end of his rope. Irreversibly in debt to a local gangster, with no one to turn to, his only solution is to plunge himself into the Seine. Just as he is perched to do so, a fellow bridge-jumper beats him to the water.
Diving in, he saves Angela (Rie Rasmussen), a beautiful, statuesque and mysterious woman. As they pull themselves out the water, the two form a bond and venture into the streets of Paris determined to get Andre out of the hole he has found himself in.
As Andre will find out, not all debts are financial, and sometimes the solutions to life¹s problems are found in the unlikeliest of places. Is Angela simply repaying Andre for his kindness, or are there other forces at work beyond his comprehension?
Director's Statement
My first great thrill in making this film was to rediscover Paris. Le Dernier Combat (The Last Battle - 1983) had allowed me to glimpse its flesh and bones. Subway (1985) took me down into its innards.
What was left for me to discover was the true, beautiful Paris - the one that enthralls millions of tourists every year and that we Parisians walk past each morning, head down, lost in our own personal paradise.
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After all these years, I had a burning desire to film the wonders of Paris, which has witnessed, over forty years now, all my sorrows and joys.
The second thrill was being face-to-face with actors again. I hadn't been behind a camera in six years. I hadn't really missed it. Shooting The Fifth Element (1998) and Joan of Arc (1999) consecutively, with barely a weekend between them, had tired me out and almost turned me off the whole process.
On Angel-A, from the very first day of rehearsals, the pleasure returned. The pleasure of hearing the lines in somebody else's mouth. Wrapping the words in a thousand nuances or expressions, blending them infinitely, seeking, grasping, smiling, laughing and often feeling tears well up.
The shoot went like a dream, thanks to an amazing crew, which bonded together as never before, and thanks to two wonderful actors, to whom the book pays tribute.
Rie, first of all. She writes, paints, takes photos, directs. Being an actress is, for her, just another string to her bow. In one month, this Danish-American was speaking French and knew her lines backwards. Assiduous, upright and as strong as an oak, she entranced the whole shoot with her smile, good humor, kindness and loyalty.
And Jamel. We already knew each other, though not very well. As soon as you meet him, you sense that the irresistible clown's mask conceals a true tragedian. Like all great comics, his genius for laughter hides certain wounds. That is what laughter is for, to hide a truth that words weigh down and make unapproachable. The big question for me was whether he would trust me enough to let me work on him, knead him, delve into his wounds. Cinema is a kind of anesthetic but it's difficult to take the first step. With a great deal of humility, courage and reserve, he stripped bare, while I tried to capture and enhance his nakedness without ever being vulgar. True feelings never are. I thank them both. - Luc Besson
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