(1995)
Two words: Christopher Walken
If that's not enough, here are a few more:
I should state the obvious: this movie is NOT for the devout. It pushes a LOT of religious buttons, and deals with themes of blind and interpretive faith, general warfare, and the disconnect between the upper and lower branches of military.
According to the movie mythos, angels are soulless creatures (ironically played by ginger, Eric Stoltz, and the ever-creepy Walken) who are divided into two warring factions in heaven: those that are good little soldiers in God's army, and those that are pissed that angels are being trumped by humans for God's favor. The AAs (angry angels) have come to earth to collect the evilest soul available - one that will act like fly paper for other evil souls. They plan to use it to gain strategic footing in their war. It's only fitting that the soul belongs to a deceased colonel. We'll get back to him. Soulless gin-er-I mean-angel Simon (Stoltz) intercepts the soul and goes on the run. He doesn't make it too far. Enter Gabriel (Walken), Angel of Death and general bad-ass.
Simon, who was hanging out in an abandoned school, "gives" the soul to a little Native American girl in a scene that promised to be straight out of Law & Order: SVU. Gabriel and his undead minion go looking for her and run into homicide detective, Thomas Dagget, ex-seminary student, theology scholar, and writer. Det. Dagget and a school teacher (Virginia Madsen) try to protect the girl from Gabriel, receiving some consultation from Lucifer. The mere fact that the Devil is a consultant for the "good" team in this movie makes it worth watching. The Devil becomes instrumental in their victory even though his assistance is self-serving. In addition, it's traditional (i.e. pagan) Native religious ceremony that ends up healing the girl, turning the screw a little more.
Points of interest:
I never noticed before how the angels perch on things like large, demonic birds.
I also never noticed how easily it seems people in the film accept the "evil angels did it" explanation for the situations that occur. The movie is expedited along its path partly because no one makes a fuss about how none of it can be logically possible -not even in the police department.
Col. Hawthorne, the evil soul, has in his possession an official evidence reel of his gruesome war crimes and trial, and a locked metal case containing actual death masks. How was he realistically able to keep either - especially the box of masks that he is clearly seen holding in the evidence film?
Viggo Mortensen, who played Lucifer, went on to portray Aragorn, the last direct descendant of the true Kings of Men. I feel like there's a parallel there...or several.
Best Line:
"...for while heaven may be closed, I am always open...even on Christmas."
Verdict: must watch
9.5
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