Marvelous and the Black Hole review: A quirky movie lives up to its name

Distance: Marvelous, the Black Hole It looks like another movie about a young, angsty girl who meets a wise mentor. You can add a little more flavour to the story by swapping in Rhea Perlman’s smart-mouthed sports coach or teacher for a magician. Take that angsty teenager and make her equal parts prickly and endearing, with a splash of cultural specificity, and that’s already something zestier.

All of this and more makes for a movie. Marvelous, the Black Hole There is enough humor and quirkiness in this film to make it stand out from the crowd. It was the debut feature film directed by Steven Universe: Future Adventure Time: Distant Lands Kate Tsang, writer, is equally edgy and whimsical as she is charming and gritty. This makes for a truly unique experience.

[Ed. Note: This review contains mild setup spoilers for Marvelous and the Black Hole.]

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Surly 13-year-old Sammy (Miya Cech) is forced to take a summer class at the local community college after her latest act of deviancy lands her in the principal’s office near the end of the school year. Under her prickly personality, Sammy is grappling with the her mother’s death and her father’s new relationship. Sammy, who is avoiding classes, meets Margo Perlman (Rhea Perlman), a stage magician. After Margo begins to take Sammy under her wing, and to start teaching her stage magic, the two form an unlikely friendship.

It is also the part that’s most active. Marvelous, the Black HoleThis is their central relationship. It does take Cech a bit of time to find her footing in the movie, especially when she’s on her own in the early scenes. Perlman and Cech make for a memorable couple. Sammy needs someone to call her out on her bullshit, but at the same time, she needs someone who won’t give up on her. Margo gives Sammy new energy and helps her express her sorrow and anger without being too didactic. Margo is also inspired by Sammy in many other aspects of her life. She especially remembers the value of family.

Sammy and Margo represent familiar character archetypes — the rebellious teenager and the wise mentor — but the specificity Tsang writes into them gives them more depth, and the that the actors bring to life with electric chemistry. Margo is a strong-willed older woman whose idea of being maternal isn’t coddling warmth, but pragmatic grit and resilience. Sammy, an angsty and prickly teenager who deals with grief. But she’s also Chinese-American, and seeing this particular kind of black-clad rebel also be a young Asian American girl is refreshing. A rebellious Asian teenager isn’t an unheard-of character archetype, but Sammy is a central character, rather than someone’s love interest or best friend, and she goes on her own emotional journey. (Also, the fact she doesn’t dye her hair is a nice bonus.)

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These details go above and beyond the characters, adding color to the film. Sammy’s older sister Patricia, for instance, could very well just be a typical responsible eldest child. But she’s AlsoA gamer obsessed with the fictional game “The Gamer”Kingdom CogShe meets her secret boyfriend online at. Sammy’s father brings home a durian, a notoriously stinky fruit that Sammy’s mother hated, which causes Sammy to feel like he’s violating her mother’s memory. These quirky elements are a great source of laughs but they also tell a deeper and more intimate story. Sammy and her family are real because of their memories and personalities.

The strongest scenes are those where no one speaks and the images capture emotion. In particular, the scene where Sammy’s father takes her and Patricia to an arcade stands out. The three bond for the first time since forever as they play games in the arcade. They are almost effected by the glow from the surrounding lights, which makes this sweet scene seem almost sad. It’s a powerful visual language that also translates to other moments in the film, particularly the stage magic that Margo performs and Sammy learns.

Marvelous, the Black Hole heads mostly in the direction viewers would expect it to go — Sammy learns; she lashes out; there’s a bigger falling-out before all the pieces can be picked up, but ultimately she walks away a better person. But that doesn’t stop it from being a gorgeous ride, peppered with delightful quirks that help elevate the movie. Sometimes the acting is stiff and sometimes the plot points are routine, but overall, it’s a transformative magic act, taking the familiar and using a few flourishes and sparkles to turn it into something magical.

Marvelous, the Black Hole On April 22, select theatres will host the premiere