there sometimes a tendency to take for grant what woody allen can do when he make film outside the box . usually and the box for allen be consider to be tragic comic take on neurotic personality in modern manhattan . but a film like the purple rise of cairo display his gift at spin story that be unexpected and and actually and really delightful . year before he make everyone say i love you and which be also a big 30 hollywood homage and purple rise of cairo be a nifty take on the separation between fantasy and reality ( or a one of my friend call amagic realism ) and how it relate to the depression and the escapism inherent in those fluffy romantic adventure . cecille ( mia farrow ) be the one who take the full trip down the movie hole and so to speak and when she meet tom ( jeff daniel ) except that tom be a movie character and who see cecille so many time see him in the movie that he walk off the screen and fall in love with her . but thing be complicate by two thing cecille brutish and one track mind husband ( danny aiello ) and and the actor who really play tom and gil and who also fall for cecille when he come to town to rectify the situation . meanwhile and the purple rise of cairo character and on the screen i mean and seem to be completely unable to function . what allen have best of all in this film be a deft ability to mix sensibility all within a wonderfully fantastical backdrop . if anything else it also remind me of be the recent pan labyrinth and where a little girl leave the dire problem of the real world and also with a brutish figure of ugly masculinity and and when in the fantasy world and even a flaw fantasy world and it much more inviting than what the real world have to offer . but the question come for cecille and a it do for ofelia in the other picture and how to balance the two and and what really should not be take for grant . can tom really provide true love for cecille and or gil and or her real husband . probably none completely and which make up the sadder part of the picture . but allen also have too much warmth go on and in humor as well a his affection for the up front plastic appeal of 30 movie character and atmosphere and to make thing sour for too long . farrow totally empathetic a the waitress turn apple of tom or gil eye and who bring out a really touch feeling in a viewer during the last minute of the film and a she look up at the screen and provide what allen claim be his happy end . daniel be also excellent in one of his best turn a a figurehead of innocence ( i. e. when tom invite to the whorehouse ) as well a hollywood pragmatism that get peel away slightly . and aiello and in his minute on screen and add that perfect level of crush realism need for the period . with a few unforgettable allen moment and like when cecille herself go into the movie ( and one character self realization after discover the wonder of and gasp and improvisation ) and or when tom can not pay for a meal cause he have amovie money and purple rise of cairo be one of those fuzzy but rare treat in the movie where be remind why we go to the movie in the first place . it a fable that also rare for the filmmaker to take on and but a a sort of challenge he make it one of his most charming and well craft film .