Gabriel (2007)

Perfect cast and a good story

It is a performances centric movie

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

I can't watch movies anymore where extraterrestrials or angels fight each other with conventional weapons. In this film, switchblades and silencers are the weapons of choice. Ha!7 'arc angels' are sent to fight with 7 bad ones, but only at certain times. They live in the ghetto, more effective then if they lived in a penthouse. And why is there always a thunderstorm when they arrive? This fil is filled with every cliché, and every misnomer. Why bother?

I find the IMDb rating for this movie saying more about the voters then about the movie. Most people are unaffected apparently. I am hit full face by this movie. The films mirroring of the human condition is nothing short of spectacular. I don't think this film could have been made this good by any other kind of budget or by any other set of prerequisites for that matter. The actors, the director, the story line, the art direction and special effects all tuned into each other. This is one of those very rare times that all the pieces just fall perfectly together. Beautiful... hopefully with time more people will discover this masterpiece.

Most Australian director/writers have a certain look on there films which is why Australia is no Hollywood. That said Gabriel is an Australian film in the style of a dark Hollywood action horror. It's easy to see why this film done very well in the united states as it's not all about the country of Australia or it leaves out the Australian feel which kind of makes most Australian films the same or comparable to each other. Gabriel is not comparable to any Australian films but it has compared to Constantine an American film. Shane abbess is the kind of Australian director/writer that I inspire to be. I want to make action/graphic novel films. As an Australian my work would be very American and not a typical Australian film much like Gabriel. So that is why Gabriel worked on many levels for me.

Australian Dark Fantasy-SciFi movie in which Good and Evil fight it out in the sprawling slums of Purgatory for the souls of those awaiting judgment. On the side of the Light is Gabriel. Fighting for Team Darkness is Sammael. Necessity is the mother of invention. Like George Miller with 'Mad Max', Abbess is forced by a minuscule budget to rely on strong storytelling, creative design, and superior performances to craft his movie. And while the results may not have the long lasting influence of Miller's work, they are astonishing. The movie possesses a striking visual richness thanks to the work of a talented designer and cinematographer, and just as Mel Gibson stood out in 'Mad Max', so Andy Whitman stalks through 'Gabriel' with real A-list charisma. The film is not without its faults: while the story is strong, the screenplay itself is structurally sloppy and has some serious pacing issues; head demon, Sammael, looks like the lead singer in a 'Ramones' tribute band; and the rooftop climax is an unapologetic shot-for-shot remake of 'Blade Runner'. The presence of a character with bleach-blond dreadlocks forces the deduction of yet another point. They looked ridiculous in 'Matrix'; they look ridiculous here. Yet despite these misgivings, there is something undeniably infectious about the passion and commitment that everyone brings to the project. Personally, I can't wait for the sequels.