A teenage delinquent befriends a surly magician who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic.
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It’s definitely my fault, but my Sundance schedule so far can mostly be characterized by incredibly ambiguous endings, extremely layered narratives, and emotionally heavy stories that left me utterly exhausted by the end of the day. After an overwhelming, devastating viewing of Mass, I seriously needed something to boost my spirit and recharge my energy for the rest of the day. Therefore, I’m super delighted that Marvelous and the Black Hole is such a wonderfully light, funny, uplifting film.
Miya Cech (Sammy) and Rhea Perlman (Margot) offer two heartfelt, amusing performances by portraying captivating characters who have more things in common than they imagine. With a beautifully written, nuanced screenplay and terrific direction, Kate Tsang delivers a lovely story about sensitive matters such as grief, anger, and the whole “moving on” theme, but also about following your passion without holding anything back. It was with genuine pleasure and joy that I closely followed the young protagonist throughout the entire runtime without looking away from the screen.
My biggest compliment has to go to Tsang’s writing. I can count so many apparently irrelevant little details that later pay off in such an emotionally resonant manner. I dropped a couple of tears in the last few minutes when Sammy gets to prove her worth, and part of that is also due to Miya’s display, an astonishing surprise for me. In addition to this, I love the little sketches spread across the movie, like the screen was Sammy’s notebook, demonstrating what she’s feeling in the moment. An innovative, entertaining way of developing a character further.
Marvelous and the Black Hole is a massive surprise, being one of my absolute favorites from Sundance so far. Kate Tsang’s feature directorial debut is a huge success that definitely places her as a filmmaker to pay close attention to in the following years. With a remarkably subtle, detailed screenplay, Miya Cech and Rhea Perlman spread their sparkling chemistry across the screen, delivering two of the most entertaining performances I’ve seen in the last few days. A heartwarming story that begins with the impact of the loss of a mother and finishes with an emotionally powerful, uplifting, magic(al) show that I’ll remember for quite a while. The young protagonist is so relatable that I couldn’t help but drop a couple of tears by the end.
Rating: A-
The sweet and formulaic “Marvelous and the Black Hole” is an easily approachable and accessible indie movie. The story of an ornery teenage delinquent (Miya Cech) who befriends a surly, eccentric magician (Rhea Perlman) is a cute coming of age tale about finding joy in unexpected places. It’s an odd couple pairing that fits well with the equally offbeat themes.
Sammy (Cech) can’t deal with her dad’s new girlfriend. She acts out in school, has a penchant for vandalism, and is constantly irate at just about everything and everybody. Concerned about her path, her dad enrolls her in a business course at the local community college. While on campus, Sammy meets Margot (Perlman), who forces the 13-year-old girl to be her assistant for the day. The two forge an unlikely friendship, with Margot dishing out plenty of words of wisdom along with the keys to performing the best magic tricks.
The film is whimsical, playful, and straightforward. Writer / director Kate Tsang tells Sammy’s story with a delicate touch, addressing the teen’s depression and and pain with honesty, and the mentorship between the characters feels very organic.
“Marvelous and the Black Hole” is a kindhearted tale of acceptance and friendship, and it’s a reminder that life’s to short to waste a lot of time being angry.
By: Louisa Moore