Michael (1996)

***Testifies to the JOY of living itself***

Michael, excellently portrayed by John Travolta, is an unorthodox Archangel enjoying his last mission (vacation?) to Earth. A supermarket tabloid from Chicago sends a team to Iowa to get a story and pictures; after discovering that he's a real angel they naturally want to bring him back to the big city.

What works best is that the story is essentially a fun-spirited road movie. William Hurt, Andie MacDowell and Robert Pastorelli have an exceptional time meeting Michael and trying to escort him back to Chicago. Michael acts like a tourist having the time of his life, humorously wanting to see those silly little 'attractions' dispersed across the countryside (e.g. "the world's biggest non-stick frying pan," etc.) -- you know, the ones most of us adults roll our eyes at.

Lots of fun things and miracles take place along the way. What struck me the most about Michael (the angel) is that he has a genuine spirit of JOY. The simple joy-of-living-itself is all over him; and this has a phenomenal impact on the people around him. It's something most of us could learn from Michael.

The film has loads of laughs and, surprisingly, even some profundities.

The film runs 105 minutes and was shot in Texas, Iowa and Chicago.

GRADE: A

Andie MacDowell was once the most adorable person in Hollywood wasn't she? And I mean that as it utterly charming. And the same goes for her performance here, she turns up the charm and does her best to sell the role.

But, unfortunately, Travolta (fresh from his Pulp Fiction rebirth) is playing his Vincent Vega role in the comedy and is entirely out of place throughout it.

Really, if you are a Travolta fan you should just watch Pulp Fiction, it's basically him doing the same thing in a film where it works and feels appropriate.

Here, well, here you just have Andie MacDowell attempting to charm the film into a success, while Travolta still thinks he's working with QT.