On D List of Movie Reviews

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Descending Angel (1990)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 6/15, 3/22

DescAng
6/15: Descending Angel is a compelling film about a man discovering a dark secret from WWII about his future father-in-law.

Eric Roberts turns in a decent, believable performance. Diane Lane stays out of the way as much as possible and is effective when she shares screen time with her co-stars. Amy Aquino has a knack for infusing much-needed momentum at appropriate times. George C. Scott is masterful as ever.

It's the story that makes Descending Angel highly watchable. Toward the end, I was curious if the director would opt for a typical Hollywood ending, but it turns out to be the opposite. So, I'm pleasantly surprised with the outcome; it's almost like a tragedy play.

Of course, it's hard to believe what would've happened if they took a certain route because the unfortunate truth is most Nazis weren't severely punished for their actions during the Holocaust. Lately, they've been found and then forced to stand trial for war crimes, but the problem is: they're in their 80's and 90's, having lived most of their lives as free people. It would have been nice if the prosecution occurred during the first five years post-WWII.

All in all, Descending Angel is an underrated modern thriller with a Holocaust tie-in.

3/22: I'm downgrading my rating for Descending Angel from '8' to '7'.

The story is absorbing and all, and it's interesting to see the easygoing Eric Roberts against the inflexible George C. Scott. That's what makes the film work. If exploitative, it also has a nice tie-in with the Holocaust in Romania although the story is, in many ways, similar to Music Box which is the superior film.

However, the biggest problem, apart from the nonsensical ending that probably got rushed, is Diane Lane. She's weak and not a good actress. She doesn't sell the twist well and most likely wants everybody to think she's the best fuck alive, hence Unfaithful. I hate her unbelieving character which is annoying to put up with. That's why Jessica Lange was successful in Music Box.

All in all, Descending Angel is the poor man's Music Box.