by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Life is tough, isn’t it? Growing up has so many challenges from trying to connect with people both in your family and at school. Making friends can be tough when you have specific interests or struggle with social interactions. That experience just gets so much worse when life throws a twist of fate your way. Loss of a family member, especially a parent, is a horrible occurrence that drastically reshapes someone’s life and is extra challenging during one of the many transition periods in life. Trying to find one’s purpose, connecting with one’s family, processing and moving beyond grief, and making friends are all so relatable… maybe that is why Marvelous and the Black Hole strikes such a chord?
This new coming-of-age comedy finds a young woman, Sammy (Miya Cech), trying to succeed in her business course where she has to come up with one on her own. She is still reeling from the loss of her mother, which adds undue burden on her relationships with her father and sister. Throw in that her distant father is trying to move on with another woman, Sammy is just in one of those perfect storms emotionally. But an eccentric magician finds her way into Sammy’s life and shakes things up from there. Familiar? We have seen plenty of films where a strange figure wanders into the life of another and reshapes it for a better future. Marvelous and the Black Hole serves up this story with plenty of the tropes that you come to expect in such a film. But that does not necessarily mean it is just an unoriginal afterthought.
What is writer-director Kate Tsang able to offer that makes her film avoid such a boring existence? There is plenty of heart and magic along the way. The magic tricks that Sammy learns are meaningful as she leverages them to really connect with her father, during a presentation that just might be the highlight of this delightful little film. There is plenty of personality that Tsang brings to the table, even if the small budget is shown all over its sleeves. The film also walks a tightrope tonally, as it wavers from silly and fun comedy, to a surprisingly heavy dramatic affair at times. The tone might swing a little wild, but Tsang is still able to deliver some genuine emotion… with a little help.
Who are Tsang’s helpers along the way? Most of the actors do fine with bringing their characters to life in this film that feels a little like an extended television episode. But it is the spark that Cech and Rhea Perlman bring that will grab your attention. Perlman is born to play this eccentric figure that brings a new joy into Sammy’s life. Cech does a good job of creating a character both interesting and empathetic even when we are frustrated at the choices they make.
Does a little magic go a long way with Marvelous and the Black Hole? In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story we have experienced many times before. Luckily for the audience, there is enough flair from its magician and her apprentice that this comedy delivers us some fun and worthy experience. That magic translates to some charm that does the film enough favors to check it out.
Score: 6/10
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