Angel (2007/I)

Director:

François Ozon

Writers:

Elizabeth Taylor (novel)
François Ozon (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

14 March 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A dreary city tenement provides backdrop to this tale of exclusion and the magic it takes to become accepted.

Plot:

The rise and fall of a young eccentric British writer, in the early 20th century.

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Personal Assistant | Publisher | Estate | Book

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Romola Garai	...	Angel Deverell
Sam Neill	...	Théo
Lucy Russell	...	Nora Howe-Nevinson
Michael Fassbender	...	Esmé
Charlotte Rampling	...	Hermione
Jacqueline Tong	...	Mother Deverell
Janine Duvitski	...	Aunt Lottie
Christopher Benjamin	...	Lord Norley
Tom Georgeson	...	Marvell
Simon Woods	...	Clive Fennelly
Jemma Powell	...	Angelica
Alison Pargeter	...	Edwina
Seymour Matthews	...	Norley Doctor
Una Stubbs	...	Miss Dawson
Jo Perrin	...	Publisher's secretary
Ruth England	...	Neighbour
Rosanna Lavelle	...	Lady Irania
Geoffrey Streatfield	...	Sebastian
Roger Morlidge	...	Journalist
Teresa Churcher	...	Governess
John Rowe	...	Paradise Doctor
Edward MacLiam	...	Angelica's Husband
Oscar Redif	...	Esme's Son
Alice Hubball	...	Esme's Friend
Simon Shrimpton Smith	...	Bearded man at awards (as Simon Smith Shrimpton)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roland Javornik	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
CinSyla Key	...	Young aristocrat (uncredited)
Annelien Vanderhoeght	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
François Ozon

Writing credits
Elizabeth Taylor		(novel)
François Ozon		(written by)
François Ozon		(dialogue) &
Martin Crimp		(dialogue)

Produced by
Olivier Delbosc	....	producer
Christopher Granier-Deferre	....	co-producer
Genevieve Lemal	....	co-producer
Alexandre Lippens	....	co-producer
Marc Missonnier	....	producer
Tanya Seghatchian	....	executive producer
Bernadette Thomas	....	associate producer: Poisson Rouge Pictures

Original Music by
Philippe Rombi

Cinematography by
Denis Lenoir

Film Editing by
Muriel Breton

Casting by
Karen Lindsay-Stewart

Production Design by
Katia Wyszkop

Art Direction by
Alexandra Lassen

Set Decoration by
Gérard Marcireau

Costume Design by
Pascaline Chavanne

Makeup Department
Virginie Berland	....	assistant makeup artist
Marese Langan	....	hair designer
Marese Langan	....	makeup designer
Gill Robillard	....	key makeup artist
Michelle Van Brussel	....	assistant makeup artist
Jill Wertz	....	makeup artist: second unit

Production Management
Aurore Benoît	....	assistant unit manager
Nadine Borreman	....	production manager
Didier Jacquemotte	....	unit manager
Jeremy Johns	....	unit production manager: UK development
Tori Parry	....	production manager
Pierre Wallon	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Booth	....	second assistant director: UK prep
Dominique Delany	....	first assistant director
Benoît Giorgini	....	third assistant director
Matthew Grant	....	trainee assistant director: UK
Olivia Lloyd	....	second assistant director
Caroline Tambour	....	assistant director

Art Department
Benoît Bechet	....	assistant art director
Tatiana Bouchain	....	art department coordinator
Renaud Charlier	....	scenic technician
Manuel Demoulling	....	chargehand stand-by props
Manuel Demoulling	....	property master
Thierry Doerflinger	....	plasterer
Peter Hallam	....	property master
Alexandra Lassen	....	assistant art director
Pascal Leguellec	....	assistant art director
Etienne Mercier	....	props
Alberto Sebastiani	....	scenic painter
Smygol	....	head carpenter
Oli van der Vijver	....	stand-by prop
Roger Tarry	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Philippe Amouroux	....	foley recording mixer
Christian Bass	....	adr editor
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Nicolas Bouvet	....	assistant sound editor
Rym Debbarh-Mounir	....	assistant sound editor
Olivier Ferrari	....	assistant sound editor
Christopher Fosh	....	adr artist
Benoît Hillebrant	....	sound editor
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pascal Jasmes	....	boom operator
Forbes KB	....	adr artist
Pierre Mertens	....	sound

Special Effects by
Martin 'Marty' McLaughlin	....	snow effects floor supervisor

Visual Effects by
Vadim Androussoff	....	digital compositor
Hugo Arcier	....	visual effects
Axel Bonami	....	digital compositor
Guillaume Carniato	....	digital compositor
Alain Carsoux	....	visual effects director
Solena Collignon	....	digital compositor
Jean-Nicolas Costa	....	digital restoration
Bertrand de Saint Seine	....	visual effects assistant editor
Séverine De Wever	....	visual effects coordinator
François Dupuy	....	digital intermediate technical director
Marion Frelat	....	visual effects coordinator
Thibaut Granier	....	digital compositor
Emmanuel Le Courbe	....	digital compositor
Guillaume Le Gouez	....	digital compositor
Elodie Ly Tri	....	retouch and restoration
Benoit Philippon	....	visual effects
Joel Pinto	....	digital compositor
Charlotte Quemy	....	retouch and restoration
Sebastien Rame	....	digital compositor
Olivier Ryard	....	digital compositor
Mikael Tanguy	....	digital compositor
Christian Tomikowski	....	digital compositor
Georges Tornero	....	visual effects coordinator
Daniel Trujillo	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Olivier Cazzitti	....	electrician
Philippe Cointepas	....	clapper loader: UK
Tanguy Delhez	....	additional electrician
Olivier Dirksen	....	additional electrician
Dimitri Doulkeridis	....	key rigging
Warwick Drucker	....	additional grip
Valentina Iorio	....	grip
Témoudjine Janssens	....	grip
Jean-Claude Moireau	....	still photographer
Jean-François Roqueplo	....	key grip
Jan Rubens	....	Steadicam operator
Roel Tanghe	....	additional electrician
Stéphane Thiry	....	grip
Sébastien Tran	....	second assistant camera
Dirk Van Rampelbergh	....	pre-lighting gaffer

Casting Department
Michaël de Nijs	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lee Croucher	....	costume stand-by
Charlotte Finlay	....	assistant costume designer
Natasha Francotte	....	wardrobe
Andrew Hunt	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Agnès Gaudet	....	assistant editor
Aurélie Laumont	....	color timer
Natacha Louis	....	digital color grader
Fabien Pascal	....	colorist

Music Department
Jean-Pierre Arquie	....	music supervisor
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Benjamin Caillaud	....	music editor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Stéphane Reichart	....	music mixer
Simon Rhodes	....	music scoring mixer
Philippe Rombi	....	conductor
Philippe Rombi	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Alain Cools	....	star driver
Nicolas De Zuttere	....	driver: cast
Muriel Kuypers	....	star driver
Noureddine Zerrad	....	head production driver

Other crew
Carrie-Ann Banner	....	assistant production coordinator
Martine Branckaert	....	assistant location manager
Nancy Brasseur	....	production accountant
Jo Cameron Brown	....	voice coach
Bruno Cassoni	....	additional assistant director
James Chesterton	....	key floor runner
Laurence De Windt	....	production assistant
Francesca Dowd	....	production coordinator: UK
Sam Ennis	....	catering chef
Sophie Fortat	....	production accountant
Lucy Foulds	....	unit manager: london
Nicholas Frank	....	legal affairs assistant
Anne Gerles	....	production assistant
Anne Gerles	....	production coordinator
Agathe Grau	....	script supervisor
Sian Habell-Aili	....	assistant production coordinator: London
Michael Harm	....	location manager
Naomi Harvey	....	daily runner
Natasha Hook	....	unit nurse
Jérôme Jouneaux	....	unit publicist
Claude Ludovicy	....	facilities manager
Erwan Morelle	....	set production assistant: Belgium
Adrien Moscovici	....	production assistant
Daisy Sadler	....	production assistant
Iris Schoolmeesters	....	location manager trainee
Pascal Vallart	....	production accountant
Peter Van den Borre	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Fidélité Productions (presents) (as Fidelite)
• Poisson Rouge Pictures (co-production)
• SCOPE Invest (co-production)
• FOZ (in association with)
• Virtual Films (in association with)
• Wild Bunch (in association with)
• France 2 Cinéma (in association with)
• Celluloid Dreams (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• TPS Star (participation)
• Soficinéma 2 (in association with)
• Soficinéma 3 (in association with)
• Scope Pictures

Distributors

• Wild Bunch Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• ABC Distribution (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Budapest Film (2007) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Dendy Films (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Entertainment (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Group Power (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Lionsgate (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Media Pro Film Distribution (2007) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2007) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Seville Pictures (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Sponge (2007) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Toshiba Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Triangel Produksjon A/S (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Wild Side Vidéo (2007) (France) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Snow Business International

Other Companies

• Cinetec  grip equipment
• Film Music Services  music supervision
• Location Consulting & Facilities  facilities vehicles
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra
• Reel Meals  catering
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes by

Also Known As:

"Ангел" - Russia
"Angel" - Hungary
"Angel - Ein Leben wie im Traum" - Germany
"Angel - Encanto e Sedução" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Angel - Mia zoi san oneiro" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Angel: La vita, il romanzo" - Italy
"Hennes envisa hjärta" - Sweden

Runtime:

134 min | Germany:119 min

Country:

UK | Belgium | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Germany:6 (cut) | Canada:PG | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Fidélité Productions

Trivia:

When Garai first went to the audition for this film, the director turned her away because she was looking too 'rough'. The actress came back again, all dressed up, and ended up winning the role of Angel.

the melodrama dilemma

Hmmmm... if the reviews and comments I've seen are any indication, melodrama is as divisive as ever. I found Ozon's approach admirable: intelligent and objective but not satirically distanced, like Fassbinder without the cruelty. It seems clear to me that he is showing us not a realistic depiction of Angel's life but a version colored by her imagination. The intention is not to mock her but to allow us to share her experience, and to make up our own minds about the value of her fantasies. The closest to an authorial statement comes from the character least sympathetic to Angel: Charlotte Rampling as the publisher's wife comments that in spite of Angel's lack of talent or self-knowledge, she has to admire her drive to succeed. Of course we're not compelled to agree, but it strikes me as a fair assessment.

The reactions to this movie remind me of the uncomprehending dismissal of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, another story of a shallow, self-involved woman that insists on looking through her eyes. This kind of scrupulous generosity is in line with a tradition going back to Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and both directors have the stylistic confidence to carry it off. It may just be that they don't have the critics they deserve.