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'Angels': A heavenly experience

It is a rare movie that uses every moment of screen time to its maximum potential. "Angels and Insects," based on the novella "Morpho Eugenia" by A.S. Byatt, is just such a film.

It is the story of William Adamson, a poor naturalist returning from the Amazon to England in 1858. On the way home, he is shipwrecked, and all the notes and specimens from his expedition are lost.

William is taken in by the wealthy patron, Sir Harald Alabaster, who shares his interest in the sciences and plans to write a book. While living on the estate, William falls in love with Alabaster's beautiful daughter Eugenia who, surprisingly, agrees to marry him.

On the surface, their marriage is fine. They have a good sex life and several children together, but they remain emotionally distant. William suspects that Eugenia may be hiding some mysterious secret, and the plot, slowly and subtly, moves toward its revelation.

"Angels & Insects" is an extremely beautiful film. In the opening credits, a tribal dance in the Amazon gradually dissolves into a waltz at the Alabaster estate. Brightly painted, naked bodies become the fancy dresses of the English aristocrats. Haas draws striking visual parallels between the two so-called "primitive" and "civilized" cultures.

With its slow, deliberate pace, the film itself is choreographed like an elaborate waltz. No action is superfluous or wasted, and each shot is carefully designed so it resembles a beautiful photograph or painting.

In an attempt to win Eugenia's heart, William invites her into the observatory. He lets loose a swarm of butterflies, which flutter around her and land in the folds of her ornate dress. In this scene, Eugenia resembles a butterfly, or even an angel. This is only one of many breathtaking images the movie has to offer.

In contrast, when Lady Alabaster dies, the funeral procession is presented in an aerial shot of small, black figures slowly marching along a winding path. They, unmistakably, resemble insects.

"Angels & Insects" engages the audience with serious themes and ideas, often a rarity in film these days. The symbolism connecting human society and insect life is obvious, but never simplistic. It can be read on many levels, including the conflict of nature/nurture, class divisions and male/female relations.

In a touching scene, Sir Alabaster confesses his dilemma of growing up believing in angels, and, with Darwin, being forced to accept that human beings are only part of a constantly evolving creation. He struggles between acceptance of this fact and a lingering feeling that something holy still distinguishes the human race from other animals.

The acting in this film is impeccable. Mark Rylance plays William with a quiet, intelligent reserve that makes his occasional emotional breakthroughs all the more powerful.

Kristin Scott Thomas plays Matty Crompton, a poor relative of the Alabasters who becomes the friend and intellectual equal that he lacks in Eugenia. With a fairly calm performance, she is able to convey the sharp wit, strong ambition and deep emotions that lie beneath Matty's surface.

Patsy Kensit also does a good job giving the spoiled Eugenia a human, sympathetic dimension.

All in all, there doesn't seem to be a single, negative thing to say about "Angels and Insects." It is a great movie that is certainly well worth your time.