Review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) by Blake P — 22 Apr 2012

Cecilia (Farrow) pretty much has nothing to live for-- she's stuck in a job she hates, she strapped with an abusive husband, and the Great Depression is causing her to live life the way she doesn't want to.

For her, seeing the movies is the one bright spot in her life. Now the new movie in town, "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is her focus, and she goes to the film almost every day. To her surprise, a character in the movie, Tom Baxter (Daniels), takes notice, and jumps right out of the screen and into her life.

The two begin an unlikely friendship and eventually fall in love, and this causes the movie to fail-- all of the other "actors" can't jump out of the scream, and they're worrying about what to do without the essential Tom.

Considering it's becoming a box-office bomb, the actor who plays Tom (also Daniels) does anything he can to get his character back into the movie since his career is at stake. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is a hilarious, classic Woody Allen that has the charms that his movies almost always deliver.

But considering it was done during the same time as "Broadway Danny Rose" and "Hannah and Her Sisters", this film is often overlooked. Well, it shouldn't be. The idea for the film is ingenious, and nobody could have pulled it off better than Allen-- he creates a screenplay fitting for each and every character, and the banter going on the movie inside the movie is the highlight of the show.

The screenplay is so clever and witty, and all of the actors, especially Daniels, pull off their silly characters and make it their own. This is one of my favorite Woody Allen films, and I hope others who see it feel the same way.

"The Purple Rose of Cairo" is one of those bittersweet comedies that just get better with age. This is timeless Allen. Recommended.