One of my all time favorites.

Dreadfully Boring

Best movie of this year hands down!

An action-packed slog

A girl, naïve and innocent, blinds herself to care for only the spiritual, a midst a crowd of statues that only hunt for fish, the physical. After finding a human, she feels joy. However, he cracks the egg she cares for, and finds it was an empty shell all along. Her faith, her hope, was for nothing. She dies and becomes part of the statues, she's the dove, the angel they have all waited for. However, it's much too late for any of them. The young man stands in awe, but he's all alone. A truly beautiful film. A masterpiece, dare I say. You get sucked into this world, where the end has come, but it also never feels like it was anything before this apocalypse. There's so much more to analyze, but that won't be a problem for me if it means re-watching it. The movie is made to make you forget where you were some minutes ago, you feel like the same wandering statue, waiting for a sign of hope.

From the opening scene you're set into a dark eerie world were you follow along a young child awakening from a slumber. With not much dialogue to carry you through its up to you to makes sense of at all and discover the story that's being told. It's the type of film that usually requires a couple of viewings to really take in everything and appreciate it for what it is. The ubiquitous story telling is really what makes this movie so cherished and loved by many. This is what defines a "hidden gem" in every aspect.

THE ANGEL'S EGG (1985) is a lovely collaboration by Japanese cinema and anime pioneer Mamoru Oshii (later to direct PATLABOR and GHOST IN THE SHELL) and truly gifted illustrator Yoshitaka Amano (VAMPIRE HUNTER D and FINAL FANTASY). Oshii's work is reminiscent of David Lynch's in many ways, it's always slow, offbeat and either works (most of his anime films) or doesn't (his cold and artificial live action film AVALON). THE ANGEL'S EGG is paced very akin to a David Lynch film. Like ERASERHEAD, it feels like about 10 minutes of plot stretched out to over an hour and while it does share that film's sense of the bizarre, it's effect is less Lynch's dread and more akin to the cold but beautiful tranquility of Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.THE ANGEL'S EGG is amazing barrage of gorgeous visuals that slowly creep up on the screen for one to admire. It's images of egg-carrying little girls walking across a destitute landscape, strange, orb-shaped machines, ancient skeletons and villagers spearing illusionary fish which they will never catch (perhaps a metaphor for religious fanaticism) are truly lovely. The animation is beautiful and it translates Amano's visions, of a world not of the past, present or future that looks equal parts medieval and post apocalyptic, the best of any animation rooted in his worlds. One can choose to see the film for its metaphors, but one is more recommended to simply sit back and enjoy the lovely, painterly images that flash before your eyes.If you are expecting something furiously paced and full of action and violence like many other anime films, you will be let down and the film is not recommended. It's the closest Japanese animated film to being a true art-house film and is recommended to be approached with that mentality. Simply sit back for an hour or so and let this film take you to its vivid world. Highly recommended for lovers of artistic and intelligent animation.

This is an amazing movie.. it's surreal, ambiguous, atmospheric and haunting. Many (including myself) consider it to be Mamoru Oshii's best film (despite it being his least successful), and it certainly presents some of the images and ideas that would be echoed in many of his later works.That some people suggest to watch it with your own choice in music may seem to suggest that the film's own soundtrack is lacking, but this is not the case. The haunting soundtrack is perfect for the film, and one of the many things I love about it. The highly visual nature of the film does lend itself to trying out different music combinations, though (I watched it along side Radiohead's "Kid A", with fascinating results). Just don't count out the film's own score, as it definitely contributes to the film's brilliance.The dialogue, though there's not much of it, is also worth paying attention to (if you can understand Japanese or have access to subtitles - try searching for them on the net if you have the official DVD, I've heard you can add subtitles that will play as if they were on the disc). While the characters and plot are certainly ambiguous, you will probably (if you're interested in the film) find yourself theorising about what the film is getting at, particularly after multiple viewings. The fact that Oshii lost his faith in Christianity before making the film certainly offers an interesting perspective from which it can be viewed.How much you enjoy the film will be determined by your personal taste (it's probably a "love it or hate it" film in a similar way to '2001: A Space Odyssey') but few can watch it without at least conceding that it is a unique work of art. Track this down if think a surreal, moody, atmospheric, thought provoking film will be to your taste (and look for an official widescreen DVD, not a bootleg 4x3 copy, the visuals are worth the extra cost).