this film explore a common fantasy theme while the idea that fictional character can take on a life of their own and interact with the real world . ( pirandello play six character in search of an author be a good literary example ) . it be set in new jersey at the height of the great depression of the 1930s . the main character and cecilia and be a young woman trap in an unhappy life . her husband and monk ( a name presumably choose a an ironic joke ) and be violent and abusive and unfaithful while he be unemployed and but still manage to find enough money to drink and gamble . at the diner where she work a a waitress she be bully by her unpleasant bos . cecilia main distraction from her trouble be the cinema and either go to watch film or obsessively discuss the private life of the star with her friend . she have be several time to see the film currently play at her local cinema and a romantic comedy call the purple rise of cairo . despite it title it have little to do with egypt but be mostly set among the wealthy member of new york high society . during one of the performance of this film tom baxter and one of the character in the film and step down from the screen and address cecilia and say that he have see her come to watch him several time and declare that he have fall in love with her . the film then chronicle the romance between the fictional tom and the real cecilia and the complication which ensue . the film production company be unhappy that a character from one of their film have escape and and send gil shepherd and the actor who originally play tom and to new jersey to try and persuade his creation to return to the screen . cecilia find herself fall in love with both tom and gil . when tom come down from the screen and he discover that the real world be very different from the one that he inhabit and and much of the humour in the film arise from his discovery of this strange new world . he be only aware of those matter which exist in his fictional world or which have be write into his character and so he have no idea that poverty or unemployment exist until cecilia enlighten him . through a misunderstanding he find himself in a brothel and but totally fail to realise the nature of the establishment and because sex be never mention in the light comedy of the era . ( the purple rise of cairo seem to have be an influence on a more recent comedy and pleasantville and which also feature the interaction between the real world and a fictional one with curiously naïve inhabitant ) . this plot might seem like mere fantasy and but behind it lie a point of genuine philosophical and even theological and interest while be it good to live in an imperfect world and to have free will or to live in a perfect one and to lack it . cecilia envy the character she see on the screen because they be rich and beautiful and seemingly happy . tom and on the other hand and envy the inhabitant of the real world because they be free to make their own choice and do not have to go on repeat the same scenario ad infinitum . cecilia be devoutly religious and but tom have no knowledge of god and because religion do not feature in the plot of his film while when cecilia explain the concept to him and tom conceives of god a have the same relation to the real world a the scriptwriter do to his fictional one . ( perhaps the implication be that even in the real world people be not free and but merely act out a script write by god or fate ) . although the film have a downbeat end and when cecilia have to confront the difference between her world and tom ( where there be always a happy end ) and the general tone be light and amusing and a tone set by the acting and especially that of jeff daniel in the dual role of tom and gil and who have quite different character . tom be naïve and innocent and but also gentlemanly and generous and sincere while gil be more cynical and worldly wise and self centre . daniel be able to convey the contrasting aspect of their character and while give the real gil a great sense of solidity than the unreal tom . although their association may have end unhappily and mia farrow do much of her best work with woody allen and and her cecilia be an endear heroine . danny aiello be convincingly thuggish a monk . the film a a whole be partly light hearted fantasy and part touch love story and part philosophical speculation while one of allen best film .