Marvelous and the Black Hole

This is a really nice film. There's nothing very challenging here, and it's very predictable, but it's also got a fairly creative visual scheme and Cech is really good. (I don't think Perlman is particularly great, but it's always nice to see her) It's Kate Tsang's feature debut as a writer/director and it's good enough to make me want to see more.

Marvelous and the Black Hole meanders a little in the middle, but shows that a strong opening and ending really do contribute to a positive perception of a film. Tsang's direction has a typical indie-flair to it, while the screenplay is familiar, but the film comes together nicely with a central theme of moving past grief. Cech delivers a great performance leading the film. A few funny moments, a few tugs at the heartstrings; this film is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

When it comes to distribution, I think FilmRise is a company to pay attention to. Admittedly, I haven't seen a ton of their stuff, but I have seen this, Memento and Donnie Darko - and they are all solid films for different reasons. Marvelous is a feel-good coming-of-age tale about a troubled teen finding herself through the love of magic and friendship - and even though I'm not the biggest fan of coming-of-age, this was endearing in all the right ways.

It tells a familiar story but does so exceptionally. Visually, it's shot well but displays more creativity with the occasional scribblings on the screen and playing with its presentation (such as the old timey film sections). I have an interest in magic so that appealed to me, plus it showcased a bunny numerous times. But even outside of my own biases, has good performances to accentuate the wonderful writing. Heart-warming by the end. Some great jokes. Hits all the notes that it needs to.