Faraway, So Close! (1993)

The comic misadventures of a mortal angel in berlin. Special features: widescreen 2-channel dolby surround languages: german and french. Subitles in english french spanish and portuguese directors commentary talent files theatrical trailers scene selections production notes and much more. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 06/24/2008 Starring: Peter Falk Lou Reed Run time: 145 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Wim Wenders Product Description

A Wearied Disappointment - NOTE: Some Plot Spoilers in Review

The first hour of this film follows the majesty, strength of "Wings of Desire" (Himmel Uber Berlin). The otherworldy and worldly resonate together on the screen. Philosophy, compassion, the Angel longing for Life is here again, played out again and again, for the first hour; I was entranced.

But when the Angel becomes Man, becomes Karl Engel, the film begins to lose focus, the pathos is weakened and characters becomes hard to relate to, especially Cassiel (now Karl Engel in human form). He becomes a thief, an alcoholic, gets mixed up with a mobster, does him a favor and from then on, everything becomes convoluted and strained, the plot faltering, the philosophy filled with platitudes. Even Willem Defoe's character becomes less intriguing and Raphaela (played by Kinksi) just another ball to jungle in the mess. Throw in the fact that the mobster was born in Germany and raised in America and finds his sister, the one who stayed behind during the second World War and you get the idea. (Even writing this review, I feel convoluted...)

And the ending, my word, so many loose ends and Wim Wenders expects the audience to just ignore them in the pseudo-grandeur of the last five minutes. Not to mention the anti-climatic antics of Karl Engel.

In Wim Wender's first film about angels becoming human, he remained faithful to his vision from the beginning. In this one, he starts out on one note, tries to Hollywoodize it with the next note, only attempting to go back to his original idea in the end. It feels like he started making a house of card, stopped used the cards, began to use domino pieces - the thing collapses and he goes back to using cards.

If you loved the first film, watch only the first hour of this. It should have been a short film. The only thing great that came out of this movie was the U2 music video, "Faraway, So Close" which I feel captures more of the magic of Wim Wenders' first film than this 'movie'. September 20, 2008

This is the Best Movie ever.

I loved this Movie! U cant get better than this Ladies and gentelman. Peace. HB June 4, 2007

There is a time that is right for each and everything

In searching for the transcendent, and for a spiritual explanation of its material certainties and flaws, there are people who choose to believe in angels, those unmaterial beings that watch over mortals perennially, shedding light and preventing souls from falling into darkness. It is certainly a great story line, and one that touches many, but "Faraway so close" distants itself from the mere and plain interest of the obvious subject and dares to explore way deeper in the uncertain terrains of beliefs, sentiments, destiny versus will, friendship and the very essence of good and evil. It ends up being a beautiful and moving screen poem. I just love this movie and treasure it at home as one of my favorites..

This is the long awaited sequel to a previous movie by Wim Wenders under the title "Wings of Desire". In the first movie, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) an angelic being, falls in love with Marion (Solveig Dommartin) a mortal woman. Due to the strength of his feelings, Damiel chooses to make the transition to mortality and ends up forming a mortal family. The movie comes across as a beautiful love story.

In "Faraway so close" a somewhat darker side of the same process is told. Cassiel (Otto Sanders) another angel, and friend of Damiel, makes the same transition to mortality but essentially, to prevent destiny from fulfilling itself. That is, for the wrong reasons although for a good end (saving a little girl's life). Mortality ends up being a painful and shocking process for Cassiel no matter how desperately Damiel and his family try to help. In the end, there is some sort of agreement that the time for Cassiel to come down to this earth was not right. And perhaps neither were the reasons. However, destiny shows up again, and time comes for Cassiel to leave its mortal self and set things right again. The momentum is symbolized by Emit Flesti (Willem Defoe). Spell it backwards and the name will read "Time itself".

Certainly a thought-provoking kind of movie, with a great script in German, English, French and Italian and an impressive photography and marvelous direction. Beautiful and well constructed characters abound such as Raphaela (a companion angel for Cassiel, played by Nastassja Kinski), Tony Baker (Horst Bucholz), Heinz Rahrmann (Konrad), Philip Winter (Rudiger Vogeler), Camilla Pontabry (who plays Doria, Damiel and Marion's daughter) and of course the already beloved characters of Damiel, Cassiel and Marion.

Cameo appearances by Lou Reed, Mikhail Gorbachov and Peter Falk are included, all playing themselves. And the post-Berlin wall setting, together with the contradictions and conflicts still present in current German society are worth every penny. It is certainly not a mainstream sort of movie, yet in my opinion it delivers a strong message to everyone with a touch of spirituality and wanders about life, death, love, fate, will, good, evil and the essentials of our presence in this earth. April 19, 2006

Robert Bresson 's homage!

Wenders retakes the characters of Wings of desire with a visible purpose: to recreate a memorable metaphoric story around the fall of the ominous Berlin 's Wall, as well as existential considerations These angels are true messengers capable to help the men, far beyond to remain so close but just so far. He permeates the story with a very smart approach around the ethical behavior through this harp reflection in the film: "The people thinks have conquered the world, but the true is the world has conquered the people." This concept is the core of the work because recalls us in last instance the role of the artist in the world: Not pretend to change the world, but the world don' t change him."

As a matter of fact Wenders underlines a formidable concept: The consume of excessive images, a typical feature of the actual world, makes the love to be in danger, because brings with it the forgetfulness about "to know to look." Besides, the cynical attitude of the store boss who decide exchange porno videos for old weapons of the missed East Germany is simply prodigious. But the film is ambitious because there are besides, important allusions respect the solitude, the existential void, the redemption 's loss and the time' s fugacity.

This is a film that deserves from you your most careful attention, abnegate dedication and total commitment. It' s a formidable work with countless issues which deal about the human condition in those times.

January 14, 2006

Necessary

It's the kind of story I think we need to know this days. I've read an analysis about it, years ago, which can resume very well what is behind this master piece, but you'll need to see "Wings of Desire" too if you are really aimed to undestand. So, taking both films in account, they are about good reasons for an angel to become human beings: love by a special person or a irrestible necessity to protect the good feellings humans are still capable to heve. September 5, 2005

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