The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
During the Great Depression, a poor, unhappily married woman seeks solace in the movie theaters. Mia Farrow stars as the lead, and she’s fantastic and heartbreaking as a woman beaten down by life. She gets scolded at work, and her husband, Danny Aiello, treats her terribly. The only time she feels peace and comfort is when she watches the film The Purple Rose of Cairo. It’s magical for her to watch the classic actors—Jeff Daniels, Edward Hermann, John Wood, Deborah Rush, and Karen Akers—repeat the adventurous and romantic plot over and over again on the big silver screen.
This isn’t my all-time favorite Woody Allen movie—that title is reserved for Hannah and her Sisters--but I always enjoy this hopeful romance whenever I watch it. I’m a Mia Farrow fan, and she’s just as sweet and likable in this as she is as Hannah. The portion of the film that shows the old movie is totally authentic. Often, actors feel contemporary or as if they’re trying too hard, but everyone on the silver screen really seems like a 1930s actor. The extra dose of makeup, the movements, delivery of their lines, and camera angles will make you think it really is an old movie, and the recognizable faces have been photoshopped in!
There’s a surprise in the plot, and if you look it up on Imdb, you’ll probably read about it. My advice is to just watch it and let the surprise unfold. Many times in Woody Allen movies, his characters find comfort by watching movies. If you identify with that familiar plot point, feel that the best people are often fictional, or ever wished you could interact with movie stars, you’ll probably love this movie.
More Mia Farrow movies here!
More Van Johnson movies here!
This isn’t my all-time favorite Woody Allen movie—that title is reserved for Hannah and her Sisters--but I always enjoy this hopeful romance whenever I watch it. I’m a Mia Farrow fan, and she’s just as sweet and likable in this as she is as Hannah. The portion of the film that shows the old movie is totally authentic. Often, actors feel contemporary or as if they’re trying too hard, but everyone on the silver screen really seems like a 1930s actor. The extra dose of makeup, the movements, delivery of their lines, and camera angles will make you think it really is an old movie, and the recognizable faces have been photoshopped in!
There’s a surprise in the plot, and if you look it up on Imdb, you’ll probably read about it. My advice is to just watch it and let the surprise unfold. Many times in Woody Allen movies, his characters find comfort by watching movies. If you identify with that familiar plot point, feel that the best people are often fictional, or ever wished you could interact with movie stars, you’ll probably love this movie.
More Mia Farrow movies here!
More Van Johnson movies here!