Puzzle

source: Puzzle

I wanted to like this but actually didn't make it to the end of it. The pacing is terrible. Macdonald, whom I usually adore in everything, is woefully miscast, and her fake American accent is just plain painful. The trailer looked so promising but was completely differently paced. They hired a better trailer editor than writer or director, I guess.

The trailer looked good. So I rented it. And watched. And waited for it to be something: interesting, funny, clever. Kept waiting, and finally fast forwarded the last part so it would end.

Agnes, the dutiful, competent wife of complacent, auto-shop owner Louie, ministers to the gathering supposedly there to celebrate her birthday. There seems to be very little celebrated...she's made her own cake, lights the candles herself and carries the damn thing into the room so that everyone can sing happy birthday and watch her blow out the candles before returning to their own separate conversations etc. Great (not). She doesn't even receive gifts that she wants or are 'age appropriate'. The fact that one is an iPhone is the first indication we have that this is set in the present day...up to then, it could have been anytime 1930's to 1950's. This is the first puzzle. We do learn later that Agnes lost her mother young and thus has no proper marital role model as the wife and mother. She hardly knows who she is but is compliant, uncomplaining and long suffering. Puzzle sets out to show her blossoming self-awareness. She takes her cues about a potential different future for herself by paying close attention to the smallest details in the interactions she has with new people. A beautiful film marred only by the unrealistic portrayal of puzzle gaming...there is a distinct lack of speed! Nevertheless, a worthwhile treatment of middle age female psychological growth.

Positives: Liked the "Ave Maria" song on the train. Macdonald's character Agnes was captivatingly acted. Interestingly her behaviors & communication skills reminded me two other film roles: The first year, I believe, the female deputy in Fargo, and also the female detective, Saga, in the Swedish/Danish version of "The Bridge". What seems to be common for all are some elements of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, i.e. repetitive behavior, poor social skills, emotionless communication, literalness. Negatives: I actually found her less of a victim, but someone who should have responsibly resolved her own life issues. Despite her husband working in a thankless job to keep everyone fed & housed, the family (wife & sons) takes him for granted. To top it off she seeks solution by lying & extramarital sex - not good role modeling for the family. Ending scene where she's in alone in Montreal suggests to me she's off to fulfill her life. Alternate ending made no sense.

Kelly McDonald gives an Oscar worthy performance of a middle class homely mom. The film is captivates you from the first shot till the end and the score is just perfectly suited. This movie should have been given a wide release, it's one of the best movies of the year and will be a cult favorite after a few years. Marc Turtletaub has directed a fine debut feature. The only drawback was that Irrfan Khan wasn't at his usual best and his character isn't written properly.

Just a decent piece of poetry for all ordinary people who dared to make extaordinary choices even once in a lifetime. And unlike the puzzles you manage to finish, you got no control of every of your days as life itself, the hardest of all puzzles it is and will be. Real, emotional, cinematography.

Director Marc Turtletaub knows that a good story (written here by Oren Overman "The Dinner" and original story by Natalie Smirnoff), featuring poignant and honest acting (by Kelly Macdonald "Agnes" and Irrfan Khan "Robert"), guided by a terrific sound track (Dustin O'Halloran) can cement a movie in one's memory. He's proved this with "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Loving," and does again here with "Puzzle". Agnes, a reserved housewife whom her family knows but doesn't recognize, passes her day doing puzzles. When she reluctantly answers a "Partner Wanted" ad posted by Robert, she begins a growth of unexpected self awareness. While this film will take you into the little know fast paced world of Puzzle competition, the film moves deliberately slowly giving the characters and the audience the opportunity to become invested in the storyline and the pending consequences. Macdonald ("Boardwalk Empire") is a pro at championing the beaten down character, and Khan continues to prove you don't have to go big to be powerful. When those two aren't eating up the screen, Agnes' husband (David Denman "Parenthood" TV), and their two sons (Austin Abrams "The American's" TV and Bubba Weiler "The Ranger") show that family, as well as the individual, equally hold the blame when things go askew. "Puzzle" may be the first of the films to come that garner early Awards recognition, so don't miss this one.

Almost self parody depiction of working class life by a high minded liberal. "we should start watching the news" says the woman as she "awakens" from domestic life of quiet desperation, maybe some CNN no doubt. Stop being so provincial visiting the country to fish, travel and become diversity tourists, becoming truly worldly through consumerism. Meet the "better people" in academia, because clearly regular people are monosyllabic drones who have never read a book or had an interesting thought ever in their heads. Clearly the "orange man bad" npc's are the thoughtful ones, writing stories like this where a female cliche embraces irresponsibility as empowerment, where if the genders were reversed, this would be the villain. The only marginally interesting character is the indian man, simply by virtue of the power of the presence of the actor, because like the rest the character is little more than a poorly formed archetype.