Cairo is one of the lesser known films among non-Allenophiles. That is a shame. It is a gem of a film. Rated PG, it is accessible to audiences of many ages, asks provoking questions about auteurship, and is a visually inventive piece of film making.<br /><br />Woody has left a bad taste in my mouth in the past with his ironic casting (hmm...Muriel Hemmingway as his ravishingly beautiful 17 year old lover in Manhattan...almost unbelievable until he goes and hooks up with Sun-Yee Previn, his beautiful, then 19 year-old, stepdaughter). Here, his casting is spot on. Both Jeff Daniels, in his well carried dual-role and Mia Farrow, as the stars-in-her-eyes Cecilia, display a great mix of comic timing and sentimentality.<br /><br />For all those post-modernists, Woody brings us nagging meta narrative questions...what is reality? How can art be said to live on in the viewer? What animates fantasy? How do the characters relate to each other and film?<br /><br />While giving us food for thought, Mr. Allen also gives us a feast for the eyes with his conceptions of depression-era film making amidst the dreary backdrop of industrial New Jersey. His use of color, darkly lit interiors and location shots (the abandoned amusement park at Bertrand Island, NJ) creates a memorable cinematic realm.<br /><br />This is a nice departure for those sick of Hollywood schlock or overly pretentious art house fare. A sweet film to share with any movie fan. Definitely worth the 90 minutes of your life it will take to view.