Angels and demons on screen

Angel: John Travolta, “Michael”

A gleeful, gregarious paradox of an angel ambles his way through this breezy supernatural yarn. On the one hand, Michael has ties to the old school of fire-and-brimstone. He was one of the writers of the original Psalms, and he’s been limited to a finite number of trips down to Earth. But if his mission is pure, his demeanor is anything but angelic. He’s scruffy, a smoker and a sloppy eater, wasting away his days at a remote Iowa motel. Travolta’s Michael is like an angel as surfer dude, delivering the message that we should all chill out and enjoy the ride.