Angel

The 2007 British romantic drama directed by François Ozon, based on Elizabeth Taylor's 1957 novel, follows the life of Angel Deverell (Romola Garai), an ambitious young writer in Edwardian England. At 17, living above her mother's grocery shop, Angel writes romantic novels filled with fantasy. Her work catches the attention of London publisher Theo Gilbright (Sam Neill), and she quickly rises to fame. She uses her wealth to purchase a grand estate named "Paradise," aspiring to live as an aristocrat. At a social event, she meets Nora (Lucy Russell), who becomes her devoted assistant, and Nora's brother Esmé (Michael Fassbender), a painter whom Angel pursues and marries. However, Esmé does not share her illusions, and their marriage deteriorates. With the onset of World War I, Esmé enlists, and Angel faces reality: her books lose popularity, she suffers a miscarriage, and learns of her husband's infidelity. Returning from war, Esmé, having lost a leg and hope, commits suicide. Angel continues to deny reality until her death from a cold. The film explores themes of illusion, ambition, and the consequences of denying reality, blending elements of melodrama and satire on Victorian novels.