- Starring
- Miya Cech, Rhea Perlman, Leonardo Nam
- Writer
- Kate Tsang
- Director
- Kate Tsang
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 81 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
Coming-of-age stories are an escape that bring viewers back to a simpler time. That sense of escapism are what keeps viewers coming back and we definitely need that during these times. Ultimately, this subgenre succeeds or fails based on the viewer’s willingness to go on that journey. Marvelous and the Black Hole is the latest coming-of-age tale that overcomes a challenging start before delivering both a whimsical (perhaps too much at times) journey and a compelling story about coping with different types of grief. The story follows a rebellious teenage girl named Sammy (Cech) who suddenly strikes up a relationship with a wise-cracking children’s party magician named Margo (Perlman) whom helped her to navigate her dysfunctional family and inner demons and essentially find herself while the latter saw some discovery of her own. Though neither should come as a surprise to anyone, it was still compelling to watch despite taking a little time to get going.
The character of Sammy may rub some viewers the wrong way as the rambunctious dial is turned up too high but this came from a place of pain as she was simply coping with grief the only way she knew how. While there’s no one way to process grief and being young, acting out was her outlet for those feelings. Sammy just needed a better outlet for those feelings therefore her relationship with Margo came at a perfect time for her. Once she became more comfortable, she started to open up more. That resulting arc was the best part of the film in spite of a tough start. The same was the case for Margo herself as the story also saw her grow. In the end, it worked because of Cech and Perlman and their dynamite chemistry. The latter was an absolute delight.
With Marvelous and the Black Hole, those looking for some wholesome, lighter fare need not look elsewhere.
still courtesy of Sundance
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.