Anticipating both the emotionally shattering themes of Lars von Trier's Breaking The Waves and the breathless, haunted surreality of Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, Angela skillfully delves into the nature of belief and reality, particularly the fervent, spontaneous beliefs and shifting realities of the young.
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As the girl (Miranda Stuart Rhyne) observes her manic-depressive mother, Mae (Anna Thomson), going through mood swings that are as scary as they are unpredictable, she and her 6-year-old sister, Ellie (Charlotte Blythe), act out elaborate rites of purification to ward off evil spirits.
Angela is the leader of these ominous ceremonies, which involve an imaginary fallen angel that lives in the basement. Angela's rituals make such a deep impression on Ellie that when she is by herself one afternoon the younger sister tries to re-enact one and nearly burns down the house.
This is the first film written and directed by Ms. Miller. It deftly slips into and out of Angela's mind as the anxious girl watches her mother's mental health disintegrate to the point where she is hospitalized.
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Angela, director Rebecca Miller's award-winning debut feature (it captured two prizes at last year's Sundance Film Festival), presents a view of the modern world through the eyes of a creative ten-year old girl. With a relaxed pace and lyrical visual style, this motion picture, which explores issues of spirituality and guilt, will never find an audience among mainstream movie- goers. Nevertheless, for those who appreciate perceptive, offbeat, experimental features, Angela offers a rewarding one-hundred minutes.
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