Review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) by Alysia V — 13 Jun 2009

This is most certainly my favorite older Woody Allen film, but in might even, in fact, be my all-time favorite Woody Allen film, period. It certainly ranks among the top contenders. It's absolutely delightful! Jeff Daniels was so great in this and I really enjoyed watching him play out these two different characters.

Mia Farrow, who typically sort of annoys me, was actually pretty perfect for this role, and the overall concept was beyond wonderful and creative! We've all dreamt of meeting and falling in love with a specific character, whether it be from a movie or book, and this film does such a splendid job of bringing that premise to life! I found myself torn between which of Jeff Daniel's "characters" she should choose and end up with.

..It'd be awfully strange to fall in love with and go on to marry a fictional movie character, and even more so to live within a movie but hey, it'd also be pretty magical! The ending was a little sad, but then again I think it shows that real life doesn't always have a happy ending and by her returning to the theatre in the end, I think it also showed that movies, for all of us, are sort of a form of escapism and they teleport you to a dream-like fantasy.

An absolutely lovely little film full of character, originality and charm! Woody Allen, I continue to love you more and more!