Angel (1982/I)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writer:

Neil Jordan (written by)

Release Date:

December 1982 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Plot:

Saxophonist Danny witnesses the murder of his band manager and a deaf-mute girl after a gig. Questioned by the police...

Plot Keywords:

Band Manager | Murder | Saxophonist | Surrealism | Witness

Cast

Veronica Quilligan	...	Annie
Stephen Rea	...	Danny
Alan Devlin	...	Bill
Peter Caffrey	...	Ray
Honor Heffernan	...	Deirdre
Lise Ann McLaughlin	...	Bride
Ian McElhinney	...	Groom
Derek Lord	...	Best Man
Ray McAnally	...	Bloom
Donal McCann	...	Bonner
Marie Kean	...	Mae
Don Foley	...	Bouncer
Gerard McSorley	...	Assistant
Liz Bono	...	Girl Assistant
Tom Collins	...	Photographer

Also Known As:

Danny Boy (Canada: English title) (video title) (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

Ireland:90 min | UK:92 min | USA:92 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Trivia:

John Boorman (executive producer) wanted Liam Neeson to play Danny.

A wonderful directorial debut

I suspect the pressures of commercialism to be the dominant factor behind the decline of some of the world's greatest directors in their final years. Sad examples include Wyler, De Sica and Carol Reed. Even as sustained a talent as David Lynch has not produced anything quite as imaginative as the early "Eraserhead". Possibly the most regrettable loss to commercialism in recent years has been that of Neil Jordan who has somehow not even managed to produce a core of outstanding work. Only his brilliant debut "Angel" serves as a reminder of what might have been. Although set at the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles, this is in no sense a political film like "Some Mother's Son" and "In The Name Of The Father". Rather is it a character study of a highly talented saxophonist with an insecure temperament that even makes him doubt his ability as a musician. He becomes completely unstabilised when he witnesses a gangland - subtly not a political - atrocity, so much so that he embarks on a murderous spree of revenge. The gun becomes a substitute for the saxophone - a simplistic but marvellously satisfying metaphor in this context. As he journeys deeper into murderous darkness he begins to lose his tender relationship with Dee, a singer in his band. The feeling of what might have developed between them is the film's tragic core. What partly makes "Angel" so remarkable is the terseness of its dialogue, so much so that we find ourselves remembering lines long afterwards in the same way that we do from films as diverse as "The Third Man" and "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie". The film is also paced in such a skillful way that it can afford to pause to encompass such vignettes as Aunt Mae reading the tea-leaves and the Salvation Army musician who has played for them all but now plays for the Lord. "Angel" is full of small details that hauntingly resonate long after the film is over.