10

WEDNESDAY

Personally, I don’t find the concept of guardian angels all that comforting: If one were to hover over my shoulder, reading my mind while I was jerking off, I’d say my chances of getting into heaven would be pretty much nil. Thank god, the angels in Wim Wenders’ 1987 romantic fantasy Wings of Desire have better things to do—Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) endlessly roam the black-and-white streets of post-World War II Berlin, listening to people’s thoughts, observing their actions, and recording their lives. When Damiel falls for trapeze artist Marion (Solveig Dommartin), he must make a decision: walk away from the woman he loves, or hang up his immortal wings to live a human life with her. Featuring a special appearance by Peter Falk as himself and a musical performance by the enigmatic Nick Cave, Wings of Desire offers a poetic, thought-provoking look at life that both its 1993 sequel and 1998 remake City of Angels (starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan) fail to capture. The film plays at 6:30 p.m. at the Goethe Institut, 814 7th St. NW. $5. For reservations call (202) 289-1200. (MB)