Circus Angel

Tons of people have seen "The Red Balloon" - it is one of those little movies they love to show on French class. Although it's a little longer, I think the Albert Lamorisse movie they should be showing is "Circus Angel" (Fifi la Plume). It is the genuinely hilarious story of an impish thief who gets fitted with angel wings at a circus, and spends the movie causing mischief and stealing clocks, among other things. The lead actor, Philippe Avron, has the appealing face of someone always in on the joke, a natural-born clown. Lamorisse did not live long enough to have a long list of films, and Avron doesn't seem to have a lot either, but with his charm and long life, I hope he was a performer for the duration.

Albert Lamorisse, who put so much aloft in his movies, died in a helicopter crash, which is so sad - he was only 48.  Did you know Lamorisse also invented the board game Risk? What a guy.

Anyway, Circus Angel is fun and delightful the whole way through and so loveable. I wish I had seen it before now so I could be rewatching it. It actually made me laugh out loud, it is that kind of a movie.

Would you believe in this angel?