by Frank Calvillo
Paul Hogan may be forever linked with Crocodile Dundee, the fictional character he created, which represented the epitome of the Australian cowboy and garnered the already-successful Australian comic widespread acclaim and popularity across America. Two sequels later, the film series and its star/creator remain beloved and respected, even if any of Hogan’s other ventures in film have fallen by the wayside. Case in point: the decidedly mixed bag that is Almost an Angel.
Directed by John Cornell, Almost an Angel stars Hogan (who also wrote the screenplay) as Terry Dean, a fresh out of prison ex-convict who quickly returns to his past life of crime. After being hit by a truck while trying to save a child’s life, Terry is visited by God (Charlton Heston) who convinces Terry that in order to become an angel, he must return to earth and find a way to do some good for someone else. Upon his return, he encounters wheelchair-bound Steve (Elias Koteas), a bitter, yet goodhearted man whom Terry befriends. When Steve brings Terry home, the ex-con finds himself instantly attracted to Steve’s sister Rose (Linda Kozlowski), who is initially suspicious of Terry. Just as the two are getting to know each other, however, things are thrown into jeopardy when it’s discovered that the neighborhood rec center Rose and Steve run is in danger of shutting down.
Almost an Angel fits squarely into that category of vanity vehicles: projects tailor made for talents and their specific personalities, which the public has come to embrace. Such projects are done on the heels of said talent’s previous star-making turns. It’s typically understood that these films represent a do or die crossroads for the stars they showcase. In short, they are tests to see how far and how vast that magical quality audiences fell in love with can take them. In the case of Paul Hogan and Almost an Angel, that wasn’t very far.
The overall finished product feels like nothing more than a re-worked version of Hogan’s earlier, more engaging character, with the only notable exception being that there doesn’t seem to be anything remotely interesting about the character of Terry. It doesn’t help that Hogan hasn’t really crafted anything close to an interesting arc for his character, but rather fallen into the same trap many comedians turned movie stars do, which is to fill their scripts with one-liners and use the proceedings as a chance to do some stand-up.
The sole engaging aspect that is hard to dismiss about Almost an Angel is the question of what exactly MAKES an angel? In modern society, the term angel is saved for those who appear to be angelic as a result of their many good deeds, or simply by the righteous ways in which they live their lives. If the characters of Terry, Rose, and Steve prove anything, its that any person is capable of being an angel because any person is capable of touching someone’s life in ways which prove profoundly moving to them without intending to, or even realizing it. It’s a simple notion, but it’s one to which I have always firmly clung, and despite the film’s overall flaws, Almost an Angel illustrates this beautifully.
As far as the performances go, Hogan plays Hogan. You can give him a character with a background as diverse as the last and the actor will forever be playing it the same way. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however, since the actor does have the kind of natural charm and charisma that isn’t always easily found. He’s got great chemistry with Kozlowski, who doesn’t let her role as “the girl” confine her performance and manages a true warmth in all of her scenes.
Yet its Koteas who steals all of his scenes as the disenchanted Steve. The actor doesn’t care that he’s in a throwaway comedy like Almost an Angel, and instead immerses himself into the character of a man who has been tossed around by life and is forever angry because of it. The power and emotional depth Koteas brings to his scenes is so great, he even makes Hogan seem like a capable acting partner. If there’s one reason Almost an Angel should be remembered, its to serve as a reminder of what an underrated actor Koteas is.
Almost an Angel’s Frank Capra aspirations are more than apparent, particularly in the honestly touching extended final scene, in which the film does manage to inject some real pathos into the proceedings. However, thanks to under-developed characters and a taped together plot, the film was forever prevented from reaching the true comic and emotional heights it was so obviously striving for, including the obvious hopeful rise of its wannabe movie star leading man.
