Greetings again from the darkness. Although this is a very watchable film with some nice acting, it could have been so much more. I am not familiar with the history of this film and why it is shown to be released in 2001 and only now hitting the theatres in Dallas. Basically, Penelope Cruz and Victoria Abril are two angles sent from opposite teams, if you know what I mean, to compete for the soul of Manny. My biggest problem with the story is that we never give a hoot about Manny and his boxing or his wife abuse or his extortion. He is not a likable guy, or even really a dislikable guy. So this leaves us to decide between the two teams and their angels. Cruz is wonderful as the (quite manly) angel from hell. Her mannerisms are right on and make her character someone we want to know more about. Her adversary, Lola, played by Victoria Abril, is much less defined and somewhat boring for most of the movie. The interesting premise, although never really explained, is that Manny's soul is a crucial one for heaven, which faces bankruptcy and possibly even a liquidation sale. Much more could have been done with this. Writer/Director Agustin Diaz Yanis may have potential, but did very little to make this one work. The other performance that jumps off the screen comes from Gael Garcia Bernal, who is on quite the roll with the recent "Crimes of Father Amaro" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien". He is electric on the screen. Definitely worth seeing, but a bit frustrating with the missed opportunities.
Review of No News from God
