Search - Faraway, So Close! on DVD


Faraway, So Close!
Faraway So Close
Actors: Otto Sander, Bruno Ganz, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nastassja Kinski, Martin Olbertz
Director: Wim Wenders
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy
PG-13     2000     2hr 20min

The comic misadventures of a mortal angel in berlin. Special features: widescreen 2-channel dolby surround languages: german and french. Subitles in english french spanish and portuguese directors commentary talent files t...  more »

     
4

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Otto Sander, Bruno Ganz, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nastassja Kinski, Martin Olbertz
Director: Wim Wenders
Creators: Jürgen Jürges, Wim Wenders, Michael Schwarz, Ulrich Felsberg, Richard Reitinger, Ulrich Zieger
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Fantasy
Studio: Sony Pictures
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Closed-captioned,Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 09/12/2000
Original Release Date: 12/21/1993
Theatrical Release Date: 12/21/1993
Release Year: 2000
Run Time: 2hr 20min
Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 10
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: French, German
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese

Similar Movies

Wings of Desire
Special Edition
Directors: Wim Wenders, J.M. Kenny
   PG-13   2003   2hr 8min
The Lisbon Story
Director: Wim Wenders
?
   NR   2007   1hr 44min
Paris Texas
Director: Wim Wenders
   R   2004   2hr 27min
Wim Wenders Collection
The American Friend/Lightning Over Water/Notebook on Cities and Clothes
Directors: Nicholas Ray, Wim Wenders
1
   UR   2004   4hr 56min

Similarly Requested DVDs

Padre Padrone
Directors: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani
3
   NR   1998   1hr 54min
   
Popstar
9
   PG   2005   1hr 34min
   
The Hills Have Eyes
Unrated Edition
Director: Alexandre Aja
   R   2006   1hr 47min
   
Dark Ride - After Dark Horror Fest
Director: Craig Singer
   R   2007   1hr 34min
   
Hannibal Rising
Unrated Widescreen Edition
Director: Peter Webber
   R   2007   2hr 11min
   
Normal Adolescent Behavior Havoc 2
Director: Beth Schacter
   R   2007   1hr 33min
   
Superbad
Unrated Widescreen Edition
Director: Greg Mottola
   R   2007   1hr 53min
   
Rendition
Director: Gavin Hood
   R   2008   2hr 2min
   
Ghost Town
Director: David Koepp
   PG-13   2008   1hr 42min
   
Slumdog Millionaire
   R   2009   2hr 0min
   
 

Movie Reviews

A Thought-Provoking Companion Piece to "Wings of Desire"
cdset | Saylorsburg, PA United States | 12/28/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike the angel in "Wings of Desire," who longed to be human to experience the pleasures and satisfactions of being in a physical body, the angel in "Faraway So Close" (more a companion piece than a sequel to "Wings of Desire") longs to be human to see through man's eyes and discover why human beings find it so difficult to experience the spiritual.The angel reborn into a physical body learns the harsh lessons of life: humans can barely see beyond their own physical bodies much less glimpse the spiritual world; time passes quickly and often leaves one behind in the dust without anyone noticing or caring; and the bitterness of loneliness is a terrible thing. This is in direct contradistinction to the angel in "Wings of Desire." That angel finds joy and satisfaction in love, work and family.Wenders, therefore, brilliantly shows us both sides of the human coin. The postive side is reflected in "Wings of Desire" and represent love and growth and the negative side is reflected in "Faraway So Close" and signify loneliness and decay. Although "Faraway So Close" sacrifices the originality that "Wings of Desire" offered us, it makes up for it by completing the human picture; for "Wings of Desire" and this film form a complete and compelling whole."
ENTERTAINING ANGELS...
Robin Simmons | Palm Springs area, CA United States | 07/29/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

""Do not forget to entertain strangers, for some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2The world's three great religions incorporate angels as real, created entities, messengers between the world of mortals and God. And movies about angels, both good and bad, will always be messengers of film entertainment. Here's a new to DVD title about a good angel that's worthy of your time.FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE! is the flip side to "Wings of Desire." Here, instead of desiring to be flesh and blood, the angel seeks to understand why humans have such a hard time experiencing the spiritual. These two films, taken together, offer a stunning and profoundly moving picture of the bittersweet, paradoxical and all-too-brief human experience. Both are of the highest order of mature filmmaking: intelligent, emotional, and visually stunning. They provide a memorable, meaningful and authentic experience about life's deepest mysteries. We are indeed spiritual beings having a human experience."
Another great one from Wim Wenders
gutter-ball | 06/30/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the sequel to Wenders 1987 masterpiece "Wings of Desire", a film that if you haven't seen you are only depriving yourself! In this film viewers are returned to Berlin (albeit in the post-Cold War era), to see how Cassiel struggles with the barrier that exists between men and angels (for those of you who have not seen "Wings of Desire" - Cassiel is an angel). As with the first film, the angels in this movie watch over humans as if they are there own charges. Casssiel's problems eminate from his desire to make contact with these people, much the same way that Damiel did in "Wings of Desire".Cassiel achieves his wish when he is forced to a make a split-second decision to save a young girl's life. By interceding he becomes a part of the world he had only been able to view from afar. The rest of the movie thus focuses on how Cassiel deals with the pressures and stresses of being "human". I don't want to give away too much of the story so I'll stop my description here.There is an all star cast in this movie, such as; Nastassja Kinski, Willem Dafoe, Peter Falk, and what must have been a real coup - Mikhail Gorbachev! Don't prejudge this film if you wasted your time on that second rate, Hollywood knock-off "City of Angels" starring Nicholas Cage. This by far a superior movie. A+++++++"
There is a time that is right for each and everything
R. Galeano Valencia | Caracas, Venezuela | 04/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"In searching for the transcendent, and for a spiritual explanation of its material certainties and flaws, there are people who choose to believe in angels, those unmaterial beings that watch over mortals perennially, shedding light and preventing souls from falling into darkness. It is certainly a great story line, and one that touches many, but "Faraway so close" distants itself from the mere and plain interest of the obvious subject and dares to explore way deeper in the uncertain terrains of beliefs, sentiments, destiny versus will, friendship and the very essence of good and evil. It ends up being a beautiful and moving screen poem. I just love this movie and treasure it at home as one of my favorites..

This is the long awaited sequel to a previous movie by Wim Wenders under the title "Wings of Desire". In the first movie, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) an angelic being, falls in love with Marion (Solveig Dommartin) a mortal woman. Due to the strength of his feelings, Damiel chooses to make the transition to mortality and ends up forming a mortal family. The movie comes across as a beautiful love story.

In "Faraway so close" a somewhat darker side of the same process is told. Cassiel (Otto Sanders) another angel, and friend of Damiel, makes the same transition to mortality but essentially, to prevent destiny from fulfilling itself. That is, for the wrong reasons although for a good end (saving a little girl's life). Mortality ends up being a painful and shocking process for Cassiel no matter how desperately Damiel and his family try to help. In the end, there is some sort of agreement that the time for Cassiel to come down to this earth was not right. And perhaps neither were the reasons. However, destiny shows up again, and time comes for Cassiel to leave its mortal self and set things right again. The momentum is symbolized by Emit Flesti (Willem Defoe). Spell it backwards and the name will read "Time itself".

Certainly a thought-provoking kind of movie, with a great script in German, English, French and Italian and an impressive photography and marvelous direction. Beautiful and well constructed characters abound such as Raphaela (a companion angel for Cassiel, played by Nastassja Kinski), Tony Baker (Horst Bucholz), Heinz Rahrmann (Konrad), Philip Winter (Rudiger Vogeler), Camilla Pontabry (who plays Doria, Damiel and Marion's daughter) and of course the already beloved characters of Damiel, Cassiel and Marion.

Cameo appearances by Lou Reed, Mikhail Gorbachov and Peter Falk are included, all playing themselves. And the post-Berlin wall setting, together with the contradictions and conflicts still present in current German society are worth every penny. It is certainly not a mainstream sort of movie, yet in my opinion it delivers a strong message to everyone with a touch of spirituality and wanders about life, death, love, fate, will, good, evil and the essentials of our presence in this earth."