Kate Tsang’s Marvelous and the Black Hole follows troubled teenager Sammy Ko (Miya Cech) who is struggling to cope with the death of her mother. After being forced by her father (Leonardo Nam) to enrol in a summer class after vandalising a school’s toilets, Sammy meets the Marvelous Margot (Rhea Perlman), an eclectic children’s party magician, who takes her on a bizarre adventure. 

Perlman is great in the role of Margot, radiating a sense of comfort while still being firm, a necessary addition to Sammy’s life. Cech has a remarkable ability to display such intense rage as Sammy, which is directed not only at others but also towards herself. A fault of this film is that this harm she causes and the brief look at some darker subjects are not explored deeply enough, causing them to feel out of place within the tone of the film. Instead, these are pushed aside just when you think they’re finally going to be examined, which is a real shame as there is so much potential to develop her into a more fully formed character.

But this film is about finding the magic in life, and although there was much left to be examined beneath the surface in both Sammy and Margot’s characters, the unbreakable bond that is formed between the two of them is still charming. With a lot of tears and laughter, choosing not to harbour too much on the negative allows you to bask in the happiness they find along their journey together. 

Marvelous is a whimsical, uplifting film that will leave you feeling optimistic and warm at the end. The central story is not groundbreaking in any way, but the unique style and amount of love that has been poured into it still makes it a fulfilling experience.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Miya Cech, Rhea Perlman, Leonardo Nam, Kannon Omachi, Paulina Lule, Keith Powell

DIRECTOR: Kate Tsang

WRITER: Kate Tsang

SYNOPSIS: Teenage delinquent Sammy Ko teams up with a children’s party magician on a bizarre adventure to navigate her tumultuous home life. 

[TRAILER FORTHCOMING]