Parents' Guide to Marvelous and the Black Hole

This is a charming, surprisingly touching coming-of-age story about an angry, grieving teen who learns magic from an unexpected mentor. Tsang's nuanced labor of love is primarily about loss, but it's also about how unexpected friendships can change you forever. Perlman is fabulous as Margot, who takes Sammy under her wing and teaches her not only magic but also the power of harnessing emotion into something transformative. Cech is delightfully exasperating as the almost too-clever and prone-to-outbursts Sammy. She's capable of conveying an impressive emotional range often with just her killer single-eyebrow raise. Tsang's script also gives depth to secondary characters, particularly Margot -- whose background includes her own life-changing tragedy -- and the rest of Sammy's family, who've handled grief by throwing themselves into an online gaming community (Sammy's sister) or a new relationship (her dad).

The plot of Marvelous and the Black Hole is simple, but that's fine considering that it's chiefly a character study. There's humor, especially when Sammy finds a place in Margot's circle of illusionists, and a whole lot of heart. Kudos should go to Tsang for making Sammy lovably unlikeable in a way that only adolescent angst can do. And despite the magic angle, there's a lovely sense of authenticity to the story, and the actors all give stand-out performances. Nam is all frustrated sadness as Sammy's dad, and Paulina Lule is wonderful as her patient almost-stepmother. Movies about grief can be overly sentimental, but this one explores the anger and all-consuming nature of losing someone you love. It's a fine first feature that demonstrates Tsang's promise as a director of realistic dramedies.