Forget the old showbiz adage about never working with kids or animals. For this charming little film, veteran performer Rhea Perlman forms a perfect team with rubber-faced newcomer (and future star) Miya Cech. The end result is a coming of age story that holds the attention.
16 Reviews
Very Cute
sweidman-280163 February 2021
Marvelous and the Black Hole is adorable. A teenage delinquent teams up with a surly children's party magician to navigate her dysfunctional family and inner demons. Miya Cech and Rhea Perlman make a great duo. The story is very simple and easy to follow. This is a casual watch that young teens will fall for. The focus on the childlike nature is good and works well for the story. Sometimes it felt a little too childish, especially towards the end when it deals with heavier subjects. The tone could've been worked out a bit better, but it's still fun. This feels like something that will go to Netflix for people of all ages to enjoy.
Heartbreak and the Cure
cahidi13 June 2022
I think someone categorized this movie's genre wrong. It's not a comedy, it's a comedy family drama. Emphasize on drama. The start was pretty slow, grim and agonizing. It's totally unlikable. So if you want to see the good parts, you're gonna have to grin and bear through that part of the movie. But it's totally worth it, cause even if it's heartbreaking at first, the ending is not. This movie is a lot like love. You can't get the good parts without going through the bad ones as well.
A quirky and relatable comedy...
paul_haakonsen2 May 2022
The 2021 comedy "Marvelous and the Black Hole" from writer and director Kate Tsang was a movie that fully and wholly managed to elude my radar. And it wasn't before now in 2022, as I stumbled upon it by sheer random chance that I came to know about it.
I didn't have any expectations to the movie, but I will say that the movie's cover, despite of its simplicity, had some appeal to me, and it was what drew me to initially pick up the movie.
The storyline told in "Marvelous and the Black Hole", as written by Kate Tsang, was actually a good storyline in my opinion. But I do think that this is not actually a movie that will easily and overly find a base with just everyone in the audience, as it can be somewhat of an acquired taste.
The acting performances in the movie were good, and it was actually nice to see Rhea Perlman on the screen. I don't think I've actually seen her on the screen since "Cheers". Now, I wasn't familiar with Miya Cech, but she really put on a memorable performance. The movie had a good cast ensemble, with mostly unfamiliar faces and names to me, and that is something I enjoy in movies.
If you enjoy quirky comedies that doesn't just offer the usual run-of-the-mill-and-straight-from-the-blueprint-of-how-to-make-a-successful-comedy, then give "Marvelous and the Black Hole" a chance. I did, and I was genuinely entertained by the storyline.
However, while it was a good movie, then I don't think that "Marvelous and the Black Hole" is a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time, simply because the storyline doesn't have enough layers to facilitate and support more than a single viewing.
My rating of writer and director Kate Tsang's 2021 comedy "Marvelous and the Black Hole" lands on a six out of ten stars.
I didn't have any expectations to the movie, but I will say that the movie's cover, despite of its simplicity, had some appeal to me, and it was what drew me to initially pick up the movie.
The storyline told in "Marvelous and the Black Hole", as written by Kate Tsang, was actually a good storyline in my opinion. But I do think that this is not actually a movie that will easily and overly find a base with just everyone in the audience, as it can be somewhat of an acquired taste.
The acting performances in the movie were good, and it was actually nice to see Rhea Perlman on the screen. I don't think I've actually seen her on the screen since "Cheers". Now, I wasn't familiar with Miya Cech, but she really put on a memorable performance. The movie had a good cast ensemble, with mostly unfamiliar faces and names to me, and that is something I enjoy in movies.
If you enjoy quirky comedies that doesn't just offer the usual run-of-the-mill-and-straight-from-the-blueprint-of-how-to-make-a-successful-comedy, then give "Marvelous and the Black Hole" a chance. I did, and I was genuinely entertained by the storyline.
However, while it was a good movie, then I don't think that "Marvelous and the Black Hole" is a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time, simply because the storyline doesn't have enough layers to facilitate and support more than a single viewing.
My rating of writer and director Kate Tsang's 2021 comedy "Marvelous and the Black Hole" lands on a six out of ten stars.
her age
SnoopyStyle6 September 2022
Sammy (Miya Cech) is a troubled girl in school. She's a rebel with cause. She is struggling from her beloved mother's death and her father (Leonardo Nam) having a new girlfriend. He's threatening her with military school and sends her to community college. She is uninterested in the class. She is befriended by Sammy (Rhea Perlman), a children's magician.
I like the emotional story. Sammy's age confused me for most of this movie. First, she looks like a kid and I assumed that she's a young high schooler. Next thing I know, she's smoking and attending community college in a class with a bunch of adults. Then again, the military school threat only works if she's a minor. It's all a jumbo. The movie needs to do a quick exposition. Her father can list her failings in short order and that would be enough to lay out her story. Quite frankly, her birthday surprised me a little. It would be helpful to know that her character is that young. I like the young actress and Rhea Perlman. I like the emotions of their stories.
I like the emotional story. Sammy's age confused me for most of this movie. First, she looks like a kid and I assumed that she's a young high schooler. Next thing I know, she's smoking and attending community college in a class with a bunch of adults. Then again, the military school threat only works if she's a minor. It's all a jumbo. The movie needs to do a quick exposition. Her father can list her failings in short order and that would be enough to lay out her story. Quite frankly, her birthday surprised me a little. It would be helpful to know that her character is that young. I like the young actress and Rhea Perlman. I like the emotions of their stories.
So predictable
mrneilspencer30 April 2022
OMG if you have the opportunity to watcto watch paint dry please do that. At least thats productive. Im issed and found this boring as anything and the I'm sorry tosay is not much better. To cut a long story ystory short. Don't waste asecond of your life watching this. You'll regret it.
not impressed...
ops-525356 May 2022
By any of the stuff made and presented in this coming of age story about a grumpy young girl opposing all and everything due to several reasons. What surprised me though was the ever so fresh and fruitful appearances made by our cheer(-s)ful rhea perlman, this time as a magicess, learning the ever so grumpy little teeny that there are plenty more between heaven and earth than we actually see. So if you like ms perlman, then enjoy the show.
The product lacks a lot on the screenplay, it feels overly directed, and the lack of budget seems like a bleeding wound, that means the lack of real good special effects that is needed to make or break in the moviemarket in 2022, really ruins its chances of making a blockbuster. Its also a small plot, that couldve been turned into something more than this, the family message are still there, but thats repeated in 100000 other snuffs made lately, so if made in the 80's it wouldve been a groundbreaker but not today thinks the grumpy old man.its too slow and generic and presents nothing new on the market.
The product lacks a lot on the screenplay, it feels overly directed, and the lack of budget seems like a bleeding wound, that means the lack of real good special effects that is needed to make or break in the moviemarket in 2022, really ruins its chances of making a blockbuster. Its also a small plot, that couldve been turned into something more than this, the family message are still there, but thats repeated in 100000 other snuffs made lately, so if made in the 80's it wouldve been a groundbreaker but not today thinks the grumpy old man.its too slow and generic and presents nothing new on the market.
A paint drying extravaganza
GeraldDM4595 August 2023
A nuclear grade snore-fest about a self-absorbed teenager who acts as if her mother's dying is all about her and ONLY her. With a plot that's razor thin and barely there cinematography, this movie limped along at a pace that made me think that my popped corn had been dosed with lithium or that someone had slipped a mickey into my coke. "Lost in Translation" was my old lullaby movie. When that stopped working, I had to go back to Lunesta and then, after a while, Ambien. But now that I have this somnambulant gem, I can finally ditch the chemicals and fall asleep naturally. Insomniacs of the world, this ones for you!
Heart warming family story that deserves so much more recognition
Ed-Shullivan28 May 2023
Mrs. Shullivan and I really enjoyed this story line about the family dynamics that evolves around a teenage girl named Sammy (Miya Cech) who recently lost her mother. Sammy is being raised by her hard working widower father Angus (Leonardo Nam) and the responsibility of monitoring what the troubled teen Sammy is doing is relegated to her older sister Patricia (Kannon). Sammy's father is trying to move on with his life after losing his wife and the mother of his two (2) daughters six (6) months earlier so he has developed a serious relationship with a new female companion that his two (2) daughters expressive faces reflect their disapproval of.
Sammy is taking the loss of her mother, and her fathers new female companion with a rebellious attitude that lands her in her fathers dog house. Sammy is told to attend a small business school and if she refuses her fathers initial direction he has threatened to send her away to a disciplinary summer camp for challenging teens.
As troubled teens with a bad attitude go, Sammy was lucky enough to accidentally meet up with a quirky middle aged female magician who enjoys doing magic shows for children. We the audience see a gradual change in Sammy's bad behaviour as she grows to like spending time with Margot the Magician (Rhea Perlman) and her focus on the negative gradually transitions into a focus on learning magic.
But the real magic is the transition between Sammy and her family including Angus's female companion Marianne (Paulina Lule) as she realizes through the relationship she has developed with Margot the magician that acceptance of her mothers death is not the end of the world but the beginning of a new life and new way of family living.
This is a heart warming story of family and (new) friends relationships, and the magic is the story and the entire cast's performances. I give this under rated film a superb 9 out of 10 IMDb rating.
Sammy is taking the loss of her mother, and her fathers new female companion with a rebellious attitude that lands her in her fathers dog house. Sammy is told to attend a small business school and if she refuses her fathers initial direction he has threatened to send her away to a disciplinary summer camp for challenging teens.
As troubled teens with a bad attitude go, Sammy was lucky enough to accidentally meet up with a quirky middle aged female magician who enjoys doing magic shows for children. We the audience see a gradual change in Sammy's bad behaviour as she grows to like spending time with Margot the Magician (Rhea Perlman) and her focus on the negative gradually transitions into a focus on learning magic.
But the real magic is the transition between Sammy and her family including Angus's female companion Marianne (Paulina Lule) as she realizes through the relationship she has developed with Margot the magician that acceptance of her mothers death is not the end of the world but the beginning of a new life and new way of family living.
This is a heart warming story of family and (new) friends relationships, and the magic is the story and the entire cast's performances. I give this under rated film a superb 9 out of 10 IMDb rating.
Sundance 2021: Marvelous and the Black Hole is a wonderful surprise, a brilliant directorial debut for Kate Tsang.
msbreviews5 February 2021
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It's definitely my fault, but my Sundance schedule so far can mostly be characterized by incredibly ambiguous endings, extremely layered narratives, and emotionally heavy stories that left me utterly exhausted by the end of the day. After an overwhelming, devastating viewing of Mass, I seriously needed something to boost my spirit and recharge my energy for the rest of the day. Therefore, I'm super delighted that Marvelous and the Black Hole is such a wonderfully light, funny, uplifting film.
Miya Cech (Sammy) and Rhea Perlman (Margot) offer two heartfelt, amusing performances by portraying captivating characters who have more things in common than they imagine. With a beautifully written, nuanced screenplay and terrific direction, Kate Tsang delivers a lovely story about sensitive matters such as grief, anger, and the whole "moving on" theme, but also about following your passion without holding anything back. It was with genuine pleasure and joy that I closely followed the young protagonist throughout the entire runtime without looking away from the screen.
My biggest compliment has to go to Tsang's writing. I can count so many apparently irrelevant little details that later pay off in such an emotionally resonant manner. I dropped a couple of tears in the last few minutes when Sammy gets to prove her worth, and part of that is also due to Miya's display, an astonishing surprise for me. In addition to this, I love the little sketches spread across the movie, like the screen was Sammy's notebook, demonstrating what she's feeling in the moment. An innovative, entertaining way of developing a character further.
Marvelous and the Black Hole is a massive surprise, being one of my absolute favorites from Sundance so far. Kate Tsang's feature directorial debut is a huge success that definitely places her as a filmmaker to pay close attention to in the following years. With a remarkably subtle, detailed screenplay, Miya Cech and Rhea Perlman spread their sparkling chemistry across the screen, delivering two of the most entertaining performances I've seen in the last few days. A heartwarming story that begins with the impact of the loss of a mother and finishes with an emotionally powerful, uplifting, magic(al) show that I'll remember for quite a while. The young protagonist is so relatable that I couldn't help but drop a couple of tears by the end.
Rating: A-
It's definitely my fault, but my Sundance schedule so far can mostly be characterized by incredibly ambiguous endings, extremely layered narratives, and emotionally heavy stories that left me utterly exhausted by the end of the day. After an overwhelming, devastating viewing of Mass, I seriously needed something to boost my spirit and recharge my energy for the rest of the day. Therefore, I'm super delighted that Marvelous and the Black Hole is such a wonderfully light, funny, uplifting film.
Miya Cech (Sammy) and Rhea Perlman (Margot) offer two heartfelt, amusing performances by portraying captivating characters who have more things in common than they imagine. With a beautifully written, nuanced screenplay and terrific direction, Kate Tsang delivers a lovely story about sensitive matters such as grief, anger, and the whole "moving on" theme, but also about following your passion without holding anything back. It was with genuine pleasure and joy that I closely followed the young protagonist throughout the entire runtime without looking away from the screen.
My biggest compliment has to go to Tsang's writing. I can count so many apparently irrelevant little details that later pay off in such an emotionally resonant manner. I dropped a couple of tears in the last few minutes when Sammy gets to prove her worth, and part of that is also due to Miya's display, an astonishing surprise for me. In addition to this, I love the little sketches spread across the movie, like the screen was Sammy's notebook, demonstrating what she's feeling in the moment. An innovative, entertaining way of developing a character further.
Marvelous and the Black Hole is a massive surprise, being one of my absolute favorites from Sundance so far. Kate Tsang's feature directorial debut is a huge success that definitely places her as a filmmaker to pay close attention to in the following years. With a remarkably subtle, detailed screenplay, Miya Cech and Rhea Perlman spread their sparkling chemistry across the screen, delivering two of the most entertaining performances I've seen in the last few days. A heartwarming story that begins with the impact of the loss of a mother and finishes with an emotionally powerful, uplifting, magic(al) show that I'll remember for quite a while. The young protagonist is so relatable that I couldn't help but drop a couple of tears by the end.
Rating: A-
Talened young actress in 'fun w/Rea's magic' quirky coming of grief age film
hooper-6538214 June 2022
Quite a waste calling this film predictable. Like calling James Bond films 'predictable.' The ensemble cast did a great job in this small budget film that examines one teen's grief based destructive path angst. Then, to our viewer delight we have the arrival of Rhea Perlman the 'magician' and the real star of the film Sebastian the rabbit. The look and feel of a well made low budget indie film with a big dose of feel good angst resolution!
Charming Coming of Age Film
anoran1081 May 2022
Ignore the negative reviews. This is well-acted and intimate coming-of-age film about a 13 year old girl's journey of love, loss and forgiveness. If you're in the mood for something slower paced but quirky, this is for you. Miya Cech and Rhea have real chemistry in their scenes together. It's a nice anecdote to the sometimes cynical age we live in!
Beautiful, touching and uncommon
pd2124822 April 2023
Loved it! Thank you so much for creating such an off-the-beaten-path, charming story. It's real. We all deal with hardship and this movie connected me with thoughts about my loved ones. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning. It touched me and brightened my day! Appreciated the last of typical banter or big budget cliches. And the racial interplay was lovely because that's the reality I grew up in, too. Please keep making more of these original and honest movies! Way better than the run of the mill Hollywood repeats. Let's take a deeper look at ourselves and realize that we're all the same underneath it all.
Interesting movie about grieving
fortmyers-27 April 2022
Marvelous and the Black Hole is an interesting movie about grieving. It explores the mind and the heart of a teenage girl, the consequences and the conflicts created by trauma, what it's like to face a sudden tragedy. The movie has a weird style that makes it unique and keeps the story light.
Endearing
gbill-7487719 October 2023
This kind of coming-of-age story has certainly been told before - a teenager (Miya Cech), angry at the world, gradually warming to an outside influence (Rhea Perlman), who helps her heal. She's lost her mother and is acting out at school, and meanwhile her father (Leonardo Nam) springs on her the fact that he's planning to marry his new girlfriend. By chance the girl meets a bohemian woman with sadness in her past as well, and begins learning the art of magic from her.
It feels like a well-trod trail, but Cech and Perlman are so wonderful here that it's hard not to lose your heart watching them. There are also some nice cultural touches, and graphic art incorporated visually. The arc of the story may feel predictable, but the fact that the character has been allowed to express such rage and defy the usual type of cultural molds was not. An endearing film from Kate Tsang, who I hope to see more from.
It feels like a well-trod trail, but Cech and Perlman are so wonderful here that it's hard not to lose your heart watching them. There are also some nice cultural touches, and graphic art incorporated visually. The arc of the story may feel predictable, but the fact that the character has been allowed to express such rage and defy the usual type of cultural molds was not. An endearing film from Kate Tsang, who I hope to see more from.
Beautifully done film
huntcrystal5 February 2024
This film made me cry all the ugly tears in the best possible way. Sammy is dealing with the grief of losing her mom in a way that filmmakers rarely ever let Asian American teen characters grieve. This is the kind of film that makes a young adult feel seen and heard. Miya Cech is a star. She will be winning Oscars, mark my word. Rhea Perlman is as endearing as ever. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and quickly searched for more works with Cech. Unsurprisingly she has quite a large resume. I wish that I had this movie when I was a teen growing up in Southern California in the 1980's but I'm happy to see it receive the recognition of Sundance and Tribeca now.
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