`The Purple Rose of Cairo', written and directed by Woody Allen, is one of those rare movies which is so strongly and imaginatively crafted that it is almost painful to watch a second or third time. While it is certainly not Allen's best, it almost seems like Allen, his actors, and his crew almost flawlessly craft it. Even the fact that Allen does not appear in the film seems to heighten its quality.While movies (or fiction) in movies play a big role in many of Allen's films such as `Play it again, Sam', `Stardust Memories', and `Deconstructing Harry', this film is unlike those, most especially since this one is not at all biographical. It is most similar to `Zelig' in that the primary premise of the plot has something of a sci-fi twist to it. In addition to the foreground story of the principle characters played by Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello, there is the comic relief provided by the actors on the screen in the New Jersey theatre who are free to ad lib their time on the screen, since they cannot follow through with the plot with one of the main characters out roaming the streets of New Jersey. One has to thank Allen for this, as without the relief of the figures coming alive on the screen, the movie would be almost unbearably sad.As Allen's movies are typically done on a small budget and he has a great reputation for bringing projects in on time and within budget, it is a little surprising to see the quality of the filming in this movie. Of course, since the whole premise is based on the contrast between the fictional film and the `real' film, much effort was put into the quality of both. The quality of the `film within a film' is especially well done, as the characters really look like they are from an early 1930's film, except for the very recognizable Edward Herrmann.And, the acting in the `real' film is even better, as the `fictional' film acting is just a bit over the top. Daniels and Aiello are especially strong throughout the film. Farrow seems just a little too much like her usual `Rosemary's Baby' mousy character until the final scene when she shows a transformation on her face over the course of about two minutes which is so subtle, you may miss it if you were not expecting it. Since you do look for it, the incredibly slow but obvious transformation from sadness to engagement in the Fred Astaire / Ginger Rodgers movie is a tour de force.This may be one of Allen's most philosophically deep films, which enhances the film's interest without weighing it down so that you can no longer appreciate the story. I can attest to the deep philosophical content with the fact that when I was young, I wondered whether I was `real' or only part of a movie. And, this was at least 25 years before the release of `The Purple Rose of Cairo'. This puzzle led me to take up the study of philosophy in college.None of Allen's films have any director's commentary, but this is one where I would be most interested in hearing where Allen got some of his inspiration. Then again, there is very little here which is entirely new. Allen is giving us a new treatment of many of his usual themes using many of his usual devices. But, as usual, every time Allen throws all these ingredients into to the mix for a new movie, he seems to come up with a new and engrossing way to bring them all together.Surprisingly, for a film with a fantasy premise, this work has a lot less humor than the very realistic movies such as `Crimes and Misdemeanors' and `Hannah and Her Sisters'. For that reason, it may be less enjoyable to own, but I think it is easily among the upper half of Allen's films in overall quality.