Mon ange

Going into it, I had no idea "Mon Ange" took its plot from John Cassavetes' "Gloria" that had already been subjected to an American remake. It falls short of the original, especially lacking in suspense and action, but it adds a French twist not in "Gloria" which, though not very successful, would have created serious censorship and distribution problems in the U.S. What made "Gloria" especially impressive was the brilliant performance by Gena Rowlands, and while not quite as stunning, Vanessa Paradis turns in a great performance here in the lead role that, on its own, makes "Mon Ange" well worth a viewing. Pity she isn't being used more.