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City of Angels is an English language film directed by Brad Silberling in 1998. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 German film Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin), which was set in Berlin.

Story

Seth (Nicolas Cage) is one of many Angels who watch over humans and protect them in unseen ways. The movie portrays angels in a somewhat traditional role without referencing a specific faith. Seth's main responsibility is to appear to those who are in the process of death and guide them to the next life. As part of this task, Seth and one of his fellow angels, Cassiel, like to ask people what their favorite part of life was. It appears to be an effort to understand humans.

While waiting to escort another person who is undergoing an unsuccessful heart surgery, Seth is impressed by the vigorous efforts of the surgeon, Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) to save the ill-fated man's life and her sincere anguish at her failure to do so. (The man is in fact standing with Seth watching Maggie try to save him.) Seth soon becomes fascinated with Maggie and decides to become visible to her although he is not able to give her many convincing details about himself such as what he does for a living or even his last name. Despite this, they develop a friendship which starts to progress toward love although Maggie is already involved with one of her fellow doctors.

Seth then meets Nathaniel Messinger (Dennis Franz), one of Maggie's patients who can sense Seth's presence and that of other angels. Nathaniel soon tells Seth that he had also once been an angel but decided to become human through the process he refers to as "falling". Seth begins to consider doing this so that he can be with Maggie. Later, Maggie receives a proposal from the doctor she is seeing and finds herself choosing between him and Seth. At one point, when she sees that Seth is impervious to injury, Maggie confronts Seth with all of her continued questions about him and he reveals what he is. She is unable to accept this and sends him away. Maggie later talks to Nathaniel who reveals his own angelic origin and explains to her what it means to him and Seth. He also reveals Seth's ability to choose to become human.

Seth decides to become human through the symbolic act of falling from a building and starts to experience all of the human feelings and sensations that he had never been able to understand. Up until this point, Seth's personality and emotions, along with those of the other angels, has been very subdued.

When Seth goes to the hospital to find Maggie, he's told that she has gone to her mountain cabin for some time away. He makes the journey to see Maggie and appears cold and soaked from rain at her door step. In the cold air, she sees his breath coming from his mouth, indicating to her that he has become human; they make love.

The next morning, as Seth is in the shower, Maggie rides her bike to a local store. On her way back, in a moment of distraction, she collides with a truck that pulls out in front of her. Seth hears the truck horn, senses that Maggie is in trouble and runs to her. Seth arrives at her side and Maggie tells him she sees the angel who has come for her. Although Seth is no longer able to see the angels, he knows they are there and begs Maggie not to look at them. Maggie tells Seth that when they ask her what her favorite part was, she will say it was Seth.

Seth is visited by the angel Cassiel (Andre Braugher), one of Seth's former angelic colleagues and friends. Cassiel consoles Seth and the two discuss whether Seth regrets his decision and what it will mean to him from this point on. Seth mourns for Maggie and begins a difficult adjustment to his new life.

The final scene recalls an earlier scene with Nathaniel. It shows Seth at the beach where the angels meet every morning to commune with God. With Cassiel and the rest of the angels watching, Seth expresses his joy in being human and the fact that he has come to terms with his life by running into the water and playing in the waves. In a rare moment of emotion, Cassiel is seen laughing joyfully for his friend.

Reception

City of Angels earned almost $200 million in worldwide box office [1], but had a tepid rating from critics, earning a 60% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes[2].