After watching this highly lauded film/miniseries, it’s no surprise “Angels in America” dominated the Emmys.
Basically, two AIDS victims drive the plot: Roy Cohn (Al Pacino) and Prior Walter (Justin Kirk). Cohn, a power-loving lawyer, egotistically views his disease as some cosmic mistake; meanwhile, Walter receives visits from an angel (Emma Thompson) and loathes his lover Louis (Ben Shenkman) for leaving him alone on his sickbed.
An irrelevant but equally captivating subplot shows Mormon husband and lawyer Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson) struggle between his religion, politics and homosexuality as he works for the corrupt Roy Cohn. Harper Pitt (Mary Louise Parker) fails to understand her husband’s indecisive behavior and trips on three Valiums regularly.
Seriously, enough acting awards do not exist to reward the talented stars of this production. Pacino amazingly portrays the wicked, homophobic/homosexual Cohn. Pacino raves as if the most brazen demon resides in his soul: “Do you wanna be nice? Or you wanna be effective?”
Moreover, horrible joy will arise as you watch Cohn taunt and trick the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg while on his deathbed.
Equally impressive is the sheer versatility of Meryl Streep and Thompson. Streep becomes the perplexed, conservative mother of Joe Pitt, a Jewish Rabbi (utterly implausible before you actually see it), and the carefully restrained spirit of Ethel Rosenberg.
Thompson impresses as a loudmouth angel (delightfully tongue-in-cheek), a schizophrenic beggar, and a levelheaded nurse comforting the broken Prior Walter.
Jeffrey Wright nearly steals every scene with the exquisite mannerisms and memorable comebacks of the flamboyant nurse, Belize. In one scene, Cohn quips to Belize, “I want a white nurse. My constitutional right.” Belize calmly responds, “You’re in a hospital; you don’t have any constitutional rights.”
No mention of Parker’s delusional and neurotic Harper Pitt would be a crime. Parker pops pills one after another, converses with the imaginary travel agent, Mr. Lies (Wright), and frolics in her dream of Antarctica, complete with an Eskimo and camp fire. This unusual delirium of Parker adds moments of needed hilarity.
But the soul of “Angels” rests with Justin Kirk’s Prior Walter. Kirk conveys the anger, sarcasm and sadness of Tony Kushner’s script better than any. Prostrate in bed with a runny nose, Prior criticizes the abandoner Louis with a stinging tongue. “If I could get up now, I would kill you. I would.”
Even more significant is the image of Reagan on the television as Kirk rightfully belittles Louis. “We have reached a verdict, your honor. This man’s heart is deficient. He loves, but his love is worth nothing.”
The supernatural imagery of “Angels” looks incredible on the small screen. This pseudo religious effect adds character to the simple message of the film, and the surreal visuals would make Terry Gilliam of “Brazil” and “The Fisher King” jealous.
But the supernatural aspect of the plot distracts from the humanity of “Angels.” Religious dogma and prophecy confounds the purpose of this story and comes off as an egotistical attempt to justify this project. Not surprisingly, the most powerful scenes in “Angels” are the most minimal.
Mike Nichols explores this angelic world with masterful pacing. You may lose track of time as you become engrossed in this impeccably directed piece; in short, “Angels” is the most addictive miniseries since “Lonesome Dove.”
Tony Kushner makes all of this possible. He deftly translates his award-winning play into film while keeping unique characteristics of theatre (the multiple roles of several stars, for example). Kushner’s script may wring with anger at times, yet a hint of sympathy lingers in the background for even the biggest monster, Roy Cohn.
“Angels” will become one of the most discussed landmarks in television. Distinct characterization, varied social commentary and the nature of humankind drive this work to Shakespearean proportions. Just ignore most of the supernatural nonsense, and this series will undoubtedly impress.