In "Angel-A," Andre (Jamel Debbouze) is an American in Paris. That might sound romantic, but Andre spends most of his time
being beaten up. He was born in Morocco and is now a U.S. citizen; neither nationality makes him very popular in France. He is a con man, but not a very good one, as he now owes gangsters 50,000 euros. He is without money or identification, so the U.S. consulate can't help him. He needs -- yes -- a miracle. That is the point in Luc Besson's strange little comedy-drama when the title character arrives to save the day. Played by the Danish model Rie Rasmussen, Angel-A is a tall, leggy blonde who appears just as Andre is considering tossing himself off a bridge and ending it all. She exhibits a knack for talking bad guys out of things and coming up with enough money to keep Andre out of trouble. Is she an angel? A prostitute? Both? Whatever the case, she's there to help Andre, a figure who is in desperate need of help. Andre lies to himself (and us) regularly and falls for flattery very easily. He does not love himself, and you could argue that he has little reason to. But Angel-A sees his inner beauty.
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