The Purple Rose of Cairo
1985
Directed by Woody Allen
Surprisingly, I do not find it hard at all to relate to a girl who escapes her life by spending her free time watching movies. She said, as she adjusted her orthopedic boot.
Cecilia is a miserable waitress stuck in an abusive relationship. She goes frequently to the movies, sometimes seeing the same film multiple times. After going to see The Purple Rose of Cairo (a fictional RKO Radio Pictures movie) several times, the main character Tom Baxter notices her watching. Tom Baxter, a handsome cad, walks right off the screen and falls in love with Cecilia. The film's producers notice Tom is missing so they enlist the help of the actor who plays Tom Baxter to woo Cecilia and steal her from Tom, thus ensuring that the movie will go back to normal.
That was harder to explain than I thought it would be and I'm still not sure I made any sense. Anyway, it is a great concept and I am sure something we can all connect to (especially since you are reading a movie blog). It also makes interesting points about what real love is vs. fictionalized love. Having grown up practically worshipping Mr. Darcy and Ashley Wilkes (don't ask), I know what's it like to be unprepared for real love, expecting everything to work out like it does on screen.
The ending is probably my favorite part. I won't give anything away, but it's great that you can walk away still feeling like you can love movies.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Woody Allen's favorite film that he made.
It's always a treat to find you doing a Woody Allen, and this is certainly a good one. Not a laugh out loud one, but one of those bitter sweet ones about relationships and something he cares deeply about (old films in this case), that he can be SO good at.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting fact .. His favourite is it? It's good to know he at least rates one of his own past catalogue .. too many times he seems to deny them.
He seems to only like them if the majority of people don't.
DeleteTrue .. are you, by any chance, suggesting deliberate cussedness?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think like any artist he enjoys feeling misunderstood. He also tries to criticize Hollywood a lot with his films so is probably upset when the people he loathes take to him.
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