Line #9 Film/CityOfAngels


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/city_of_angels.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''[[Music/GooGooDolls You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be\
3	And I don't want to go home right now]]'']]
4	-> For other works of the same name, [[CityOfAngels go here]].
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6	''City of Angels'' is a 1998 film starring Creator/NicolasCage (far from his Nicolas Rage roots), Creator/MegRyan, and Music/SarahMcLachlan's music. It's actually a ForeignRemake of a classic German film, Creator/WimWenders' 1987 drama ''Film/WingsOfDesire''. Cage plays an angel who falls in love with Meg Ryan's character, a doctor, and chooses to fall from grace and become human.
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8	%% If you want to watch the movie, reading the tropes that it contains will probably ruin it for you, so '''spoilers ahoy!'''
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10	----
11	!!This film provides example of:
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13	* AngelsInOvercoats: Seth and Castiel are angels who wear mundane-looking overcoats instead of something you'd expect from angels, like pearly white robes or such. This is in-keeping with the [[Film/WingsOfDesire source material]].
14	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: After Maggie's death, Seth is consumed with grief and despair over having lost her and even wonders if he is being punished. However, a talk with Castiel has him realize that the temporary nature of the relationship was what gave it meaning and he ends up being able to feel and immerse in being human.]]
15	* CoolOldGuy: Nathaniel Messinger, [[spoiler: a former Angel who chose to become human.]]
16	* CosmicPlaything: [[spoiler:Seth. In order to be with the woman he loves, he undergoes an ''irreversible'' ritualistic process to become human. Then she promptly gets killed due to her own carelessness.]]
17	* DeathOfAChild: The film opens with a very sick little girl dying in the emergency room, and Seth escorting her spirit to Heaven.
18	* DefectorFromParadise: An angel falls in love with a human and chooses to "fall", become human, in order to be with her, leaving Heaven.
19	* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler: Maggie's sudden death is considered this though the subtext of the film implies this is intentional with life's sudden cruelty.]]
20	* HollywoodAtheist: {{Averted}}. Maggie is an atheist until she receives proof that an angel is real. Both before and after she's a nice woman.
21	* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:Messinger and, eventually, Seth.]]
22	* HyperAwareness: Messinger, who can sense Angels. [[spoiler: It's because he used to ''be'' one.]]
23	* IdiotBall: [[spoiler:Maggie probably would have noticed that truck pull out in front of her bike if she'd ''kept her eyes open and on the road.'']]
24	* INeverToldYouMyName: A variation. Seth calls Maggie by name and when asked points out that she's wearing a name tag. Later, she pulls off the name tag and it only shows her last name.
25	* InformedAttractiveness: Seth's incredible beauty is often remarked upon. Seth is played by ''Nicolas Cage''. [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick One reviewer]] has commented that ''Film/MeetJoeBlack'', released around the same time, has far more convincing casting for an impossibly beautiful angel of death in Creator/BradPitt at his very prettiest.
26	* LineOfSightAlias: Seth's attempt at an alias, "Seth Plate", is immediately shot down.
27	* MoodLighting: The movie mostly takes place at sunrise, sunset, or in soft/dim light, which gives the movie a powerfully emotional feel. It's like a lighting version of SceneryPorn.
28	* NotUsingTheZWord: Other than in the title, the movie's angels are never referred to as such.
29	* OurAngelsAreDifferent: They walk around in black trenchcoats, look human, speak any language, can travel instantaneously, and can choose whether humans can see them. They have no sense of touch, taste or smell, cannot see color and do not feel fear. They also [[spoiler:can choose to become human by literally falling, suicide-style]].
30	* RomanticRunnerUp: Jordan, fairly obviously. [[spoiler:He vanishes from the movie completely once Seth finally hooks up with Maggie.]]
31	* SingleTear: Seth, [[spoiler:when he realizes Maggie has died.]]
32	* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Angels cannot feel human emotions like fear and love.
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Context Film / CityOfAngels