Review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) by Michael T — 08 Mar 2009

"The Purple Rose of Cairo" is an interesting idea gone awry. Its premise is unique. The movie is set in the Depression Era where Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is an unhappily married woman who loves the movies. One night, after a fight with her drunk, unemployed husband, she watches the movie "The Purple Rose of Cairo" multiple times. One of the characters in the film, Tom Baxtor (Jeff Daniels) falls in love with her and comes out of the screen to be with her! This causes a sensation all over the nation and the real actor, Guild Shepherd (Jeff Daniels) finds his rising career threatened. In the meantime, Cecilia is feeling loved for the first time in her life but does not know what to do. As these three characters cross each other's paths, they find themselves in a unique love triangle where one character is fictional and hence, perfect while the other is flawed but real.

The premise is an extremely charming one on paper and the movie is not without its strengths. The dialogues in several places are superb and bring out the difference between reel and real life and its characters well. They also remind us why we love movies so much. It is because, in the end, things always work out one way or the other. This is especially true of the old movies. The characters are always consistent and the movies are our source of escape from the pains of reality. Another strength is in the principal performances. Mia Farrow is beautiful and charming as the confused but kind-hearted Cecilia. She strikes an almost perfect balance in portraying the timidity of her character in the initial reels and her subsequent transformation. Jeff Daniels is so good as both, Tom and Guild. As Tom, he is idealistic, honest, courageous and ultimately somewhat one-dimensional. As Guild, he is convincing as the movie star on the rise who is in love with Cecilia.

However, the movieâ??s biggest problem is in the execution of the premise laid out above. Given that the premise is rather fantastical, one expects a more convincing execution. However, here, the manner in which the story unfolds once Tom leaves the screen is rather ludicrous. Moreover, the movie as a whole is dull, clunky and seems too long even at 82 minutes. It fails to engage the viewer except for a few individual scenes. It lacks the romance and the intrigue that is essential to build up in a premise like this. But most of all, its most painful aspect is its cynicism which seems completely out of place in a movie like this. While, at some levels, it is essential in bringing out the contrast between real and reel life, the manner in which it is utilised here is a little too depressing. As far as bittersweet movie experiences go, this oneâ??s a tad too bitter. Consequently, despite the sincerest efforts of the actors, the movie just fails to impress on the whole.

Overall, "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is one of the lesser works of Woody Allen. While it works in some parts, on the whole, the experience is a tad too dull and morose to be memorable. It is a good example of a good idea translating into a forgettable film. Disappointing!