Angel

Released By: Twilight Time
Released On: September 9, 2015
Director: Neil Jordan
Cast: Veronica Quilligan, Stephen Rea, Alan Devlin, Peter Caffrey
Year: 1982

The Movie:

Danny (Stephen Rea) is a sad case of a saxophone player, approaching forty in a purple suit and an outdated haircut, playing with his band to mediocre crowds across the Ireland. When he's not onstage living out his dream of wowing the audience with his blisteringly soulful solos, he's offstage drinking and trying to win the affection of just about any available female. When slotted to play a show at the very un-dreamy Dreamland Ballroom, Danny sinks to a new low and sets his sights on a young mute girl who was too young for him when sober, but certainly fits the bill in his post-gig drunkenness. Getting down in a stack of concrete sewer pipes across the parking lot from the Dreamland, Danny misses the rest of the band looking for him and they go on without him, leaving their manager behind to wait for him to show up.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, a crew of heavies arrive on the scene to collect their protection money from the band's manager who has been missing payments. Not satisfied with the explanations for his financial tardiness, the masked villains gun him down in cold blood, and then murder Danny's newest female conquest for being a potential witness. Shivering and undiscovered in the darkness, Danny can only watch the tragedy unfold, but noting from his secret vantage point that one of the crew has a heavily modified shoe sole.

Keeping the information to himself and not able to reveal anything further to the police investigating the case, Danny finds himself rather disenchanted with his band, even with the female singer showing a little more interest in him. Obsessed with the prescription footwear he saw at the murder scene, he finds himself in a shop that caters to such shoes, and follows the shop owner back to his flat. Breaking in, he comes across the submachine gun used in the killing and utilizes it to great effect when he's surprised by the shop owner. When the other members of the gang show up to find out why their accomplice hasn't been answering their phone, Danny decides to go after them as well, strangely affected by the murder of the girl and determined to see some kind of justice for the senseless killing.

Dull and dreary is the look of Angel, and dull and dreary is the feeling one gets while watching it. The multiple settings used by Neil Jordan in the film don't vary in aesthetic, and it's just a downright miserable film to watch. The story, though some discussion has taken place around the plot as being inspired by the political difficulties experienced in Ireland (and the theme of much of Jordan's later work) is uninspiring and mediocre, political implications or not. Angel doesn't work as an action film, as a revenge film, or as a character study. Only in the 80's could a film focus so heavily on drawn out, badly performed musical numbers with flashy costumes and dance scenes, and they haven't aged so poorly to qualify as campy fun.

The performances aren't much better, with Stephen Rea, normally quite good, meandering around on screen and shifting from a Bob Geldof caricature to stunned idiot, delivering dialogue terribly. His transition from shocked bystander to unwilling killer to marauding enforcer is not even remotely believable. The rest of the actors fall in around him randomly, delivering performances that are not noteworthy or even memorable. If Angel hadn't been the Directorial debut of Neil Jordan, it would more than likely have been forgotten, instead of preserved in a limited edition blu-ray. It is a slow, terrible movie.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Angel comes to Twilight Time blu-ray with a 1.78:1 transfer that looks very good. The drabness of the settings is conveyed perfectly; the dampness oozes from the screen. Dark and low-light scenes (and there are plenty) are displayed with no loss of clarity, and detail is sharp throughout.

The DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track is perfectly appropriate for the material, with dialogue remaining clear and consistent for the running time, and the musical numbers dynamically presented with no issues noted.

An Isolated Score and Effects Track is available, as is the Twilight Time Catalogue. There is also a booklet essay in the case written by Julie Kirgo, who obviously enjoyed the film more than I did.

The Final Word:

Being released by Twilight Time, this film must have fans somewhere. They will most likely be pleased with the presentation.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!