Childhood should be a time of wonder, awe, and magic. Eventually though, everybody grows up, and reality sets in. No wonder teens caught between childhood and adulthood can feel so jaded! Marvelous And The Black Hole looks at one girl’s journey out of the darkness to regain some of that magic lost along the way.
The Plot
Sammy SHOULD be your average 13 year old girl on Summer Vacation. But, instead of pool parties and summer camp, she’s vandalizing classrooms, insulting everyone in her path, and even tattooing herself.
Sammy’s Dad, Angus, is at his wits end. And Sammy’s Mom, Sue? If she were here to see what her daughter had become, she’d probably be at her wits end, too.
Sammy, played by 13 year old Miya Cech, lost her Mom. Older Sister Patricia is lost in a world of Cosplay and Video Games. Angus, played by Leonardo Nam, buries himself with work and his new girlfriend, Marianne. On the other hand, Sammy sits in Summer School, ostensibly to learn how to start a business.
Angus lays out the stakes for Sammy. Do well in Summer School, or go to Camp Sparrow Cliff; the equivalent of military school.
Eventually, our grieving and angry teen meets Margot. And Margot, played appropriately enough by Rhea Pearlman, won’t stand for sass. When Sammy literally blows smoke in her face, Margot drags her out into the hallway, into a classroom, and into her first magic show.
Margot is ‘Marvelous Margot’ and drafts Sammy to be her magician’s assistant. Not impressed, Sammy plays along. That is until Margot literally grows flowers out of her jacket. For the first time, Sammy smiles.
The Good – Marvelous And The Black Hole
Writer/Director Kate Tsang puts us deep into Sammy’s world.
As if being a normal teenage girl isn’t difficult enough, Sammy has to overcome the death of her Mom. Tsang brilliantly shows us Sammy retreating into her own little world; listening to an audio tape of her deceased Mother reading a bedtime story. While Sammy listens to her Mom’s voice, she goes to the Moon with Space Rabbits in her imagination. The story promises you can see her on the Moon. Sammy wakes up, looks up at the Moon, and can’t see anything.
After Sammy cheats on a homework assignment, the teacher warns her. One more, and you fail the class. Fail the class, and it’s Camp Sparrow Cliff.
Tsang borrows elements from the Karate Kid in developing Sammy and Margots’ relationship. Sammy plays the role of Daniel-san, and Margot plays the role of Mr. Miyagi. Sammy goes to Margot to train her. Margot sends her away and has her come back to test Sammy’s resolve. Margot has Sammy do chores around the house to reinforce techniques and concepts about Magic. Sammy learns to assess her audience and make them feel something.
While the entire film is told largely from Sammy’s point of view, we also see Angus’ struggles to raise two girls on his own. To be both breadwinner and parent to his kids, and find a new love of his life, Angus struggles. A day trip to the arcade lifts Patricia and Sammys’ spirits, until he tells them he’s proposing to Marianne. Tsang’s use of montages throughout the film is used to great effect. She keeps the runtime to a speedy 81 minutes and increases the amount of content and scope in the movie, without making it feel either too short or too long.
Kate Tsang’s biggest masterstroke, though, might be casting Miya Cech. Often, older kids are cast to play younger characters with emotionally complex stories. Cech is 13 years old playing 13 years old. The emotional depth of her performance, and the ability to go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye are perfect for the mourning and angst of Sammy.
Sammy bonds with Margot over magic and the childhood loss that Margot went through, as well. Margot even teaches Sammy to scream into a stuffed animal. Sammy screams, finishes, pauses, and starts screaming again. The Black Hole that is Sammy’s emotional state starts to get filled.
A great character moment, and perfectly edited. Comedy on top of drama, and emotional growth. Sammy goes home to see sister lost in Cosplay, and Dad seeking strength through prayer. Sammy seems to see outside of herself for the first time.
In the second act, Tsang shows Sammy’s growth and healing. She learns specialization and efficiency in class, and learns to stand up for her friends when Margot gets stiffed on a gig.
Another montage as Margot teaches Sammy to channel her emotions through magic to build an act. Sammy’s first idea is the classic magic trick of sawing a woman in half, except Sammy pictures Marianne having a rather different outcome. Margot encourages her to keep working, while inviting her to a Magic party, called a Salon.
Tsang does a great job showing the slow process of overcoming grief. As Sammy slowly learns the art of magic, she slowly regains the joy in life lost, along with the magic of youth, when her mother passed away. As we go through the third act, that growth is tested.
The Bad
Tsang takes many risks with her storytelling of this film. Special effects, point of view, pace of editing, and tone of story. However, all work… magically… to bring our story together.
Story points brought up throughout the film are paid off by the end. The concept and execution are flawlessly done. No weak points anywhere in this film.
The Review – Marvelous And The Black Hole
Kate Tsang’s first feature film as a Director is a masterpiece. Even after having to replace the actor playing Angus the day before shooting started, you’d never know it watching this film. She tackles the complex emotions of mourning the loss of a loved one, and the unique point of view of a teenager. And, she has Rhea Pearlman performing magic tricks perfectly on camera, as Margot bonds with Sammy during a scene.
Tsang’s music choices balancing the score and song choice throughout the film are on point and add depth and pacing. Hand drawn effects over the film, black and white cutaways, and Comedy mixed with grief all ring true. The cast perfectly match their roles. Miya Cech, Leonardo Nam, and Rhea Pearlman especially shine, for instance.
You will alternate between laughter and tears throughout watching this film. 81 minutes, Not Rated.
Additional Information
www.imdb.com/title/tt11389868
Kate Tsang talking about Marvelous And The Black Hole
Sundance Film Festival 2021 Movie Ranking
Other Sundance 2021 Reviews by Dragon Movie Guy
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Review Nation Score
"Marvelous And The Black Hole" will make you laugh AND cry as 13 Year Old Sammy mourns her Mother's death by learning magic.
