Woody Allen has said in interviews that he admired Mia Farrow's impressive range as an actress. Having watched Purple Rose of Cairo and Broadway Danny Rose back to back I can attest to this as a movie watcher, but her performance here outshines the latter film. As an abused wife, Farrow's fascination with the cinemas as her escape from a difficult life is both uplifting and tragic at the same time. Her innocence doesn't reflect a naiveness but a helplessness and it is delivered with the grace of a classic film actress. The story overall runs the gambit of most classic set ups but with the added sadness of the film's resolution it is without a doubt one of Allen's most ambitious ventures in film.
Woody Allen has said in interviews that he admired Mia Farrow's impressive range as an actress. Having watched Purple Rose of Cairo and Broadway Danny Rose back to back I can attest to this as a movie watcher, but her performance here outshines the latter film. As an abused wife, Farrow's fascination with the cinemas as her escape from a difficult life is both uplifting and tragic at the same time. Her innocence doesn't reflect a naiveness but a helplessness and it is delivered with the grace of a classic film actress. The story overall runs the gambit of most classic set ups but with the added sadness of the film's resolution it is without a doubt one of Allen's most ambitious ventures in film.