Review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) by Jacob P — 08 Jul 2009
An absolute joy of a film from Woody Allen, The Purple Rose of Cairo is the story of a Depression-era waitress who finds herself returning again and again to a Hollywood romance film, if only to get away from her miserable job, husband, and life for a while.
Oddly, after a while, the characters start to notice her... The resulting film is part wonderful fantasy, part hilarious comedy, part heartfelt romance, and all it builds to a bittersweet ending that I loved and understood why Allen fought for.
One of the things I love about Allen is his wonderful ability to create characters; the world he creates here, full of Hollywood archetypes, down on their luck prostitutes, studio executives, and more, never feels false or dishonest.
Allen owns up to the tough times, and while he brings in a wonderful sense of joy and hope, no one could come out of the film saying he cheated. It's one of the best Allen films I've seen, and an absolute joy to watch, both as a film fan and a fan of Allen's comedy; if you've not seen it, I can't recommend it enough.
This review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) was written by Jacob P on 08 Jul 2009.
The Purple Rose of Cairo has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
