Woody Allen from Annie Hall through to Crimes and Misdemeanors really was a master of his art. Everything he took on whether it be romance, comedy, mockumentary, or fantasy, he managed with unparallelled panache and creativity. In The Purple Rose of Cairo he delivers a film that is so wonderfully balanced between the lines of fantasy and reality that it truly strikes at the heart of cinematic genius.
The basic plot is that Cecilia, played by Mia Farrow, is unemployed and in an abusive marriage in the midst of Depression-era New Jersey, and her one method of escape from the drudgery of her surroundings is via the movies. One day whilst watching her favourite film for the fifth time one of the characters suddenly starts interacting with her and from there starts a chain of events that range from the absurd to the deeply touching, handled in a way that only Woody Allen could pull-off.
It may be easy for younger cineastes to underrate Woody Allen and his contribution to cinema based on the Luke-warm fare that is now attached to his name but for anyone curious about one the most inventive, hilarious and brilliant film directors to have emerged in the entirety of cinema's history, watching films like this one will reveal just how brilliant Woody Allen is at his best.
This film is a meditation on the nature of existence, reality and love, reflecting on the merits of escapism versus the value of acceptance of reality, whilst also being extremely entertaining and immensely original and creative.
It should also be mentioned that Mia Farrow's performance is one of the most enchanting I have ever witnessed. What a lovely and wonderful film created by one of cinema's greatest talents.
10/10
The basic plot is that Cecilia, played by Mia Farrow, is unemployed and in an abusive marriage in the midst of Depression-era New Jersey, and her one method of escape from the drudgery of her surroundings is via the movies. One day whilst watching her favourite film for the fifth time one of the characters suddenly starts interacting with her and from there starts a chain of events that range from the absurd to the deeply touching, handled in a way that only Woody Allen could pull-off.
It may be easy for younger cineastes to underrate Woody Allen and his contribution to cinema based on the Luke-warm fare that is now attached to his name but for anyone curious about one the most inventive, hilarious and brilliant film directors to have emerged in the entirety of cinema's history, watching films like this one will reveal just how brilliant Woody Allen is at his best.
This film is a meditation on the nature of existence, reality and love, reflecting on the merits of escapism versus the value of acceptance of reality, whilst also being extremely entertaining and immensely original and creative.
It should also be mentioned that Mia Farrow's performance is one of the most enchanting I have ever witnessed. What a lovely and wonderful film created by one of cinema's greatest talents.
10/10