In this 1998 remake of Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire", Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an Angel who, along with hundreds of others) look over Los Angeles and the people within it to protect them, guide them, be there for them when they leave this world, and more..
However, when waiting for a child to leave his earthly body during an operation he spies the beautiful surgeon, Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) and starts having strange feelings about her.
Struggling to cope with the loss of this young patient of hers Maggie is need of direction herself to help her realise that the death of patients are not in her hands and therefore she starts questioning her career. Seth tries to help her out by saying that people really aren't reliant on what she does only whether or not it is their time.
However he soon gets the shock of his existence when she answers his comments - verifying that she can, in fact, see him - a feat not given to humans as Angels are awarded the talent of being undetectable to the mortal eye.
She becomes intrigued by his presence and opinion. Seth is not just a normal man, he is an Angel.
While visiting the hospital one time he meets another man who can see him, called Messinger, he soon realises that this sickly man was an Angel himself at one time but who gave up on his celestial duty to come to Earth to experience everything that they cannot as Angles like: touch, smell, pain, love, taste, e.t.c.
Now Seth decides that he too wants to forfeit his celestial duty to be with the woman he has now desperately fallen in love with, and does so... but will she remain with him?
This truly is a beautiful film. A beautiful story, beautiful scenery, beautiful people and a question that we all ask ourselves comes to life in this romantic drama about love and loss.
City of Angels is a Film programme that first aired in 1998 and has been classified a 12 certificate.
