Puzzle (2018)

Simply A Masterpiece

Excellent but underrated film

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Puzzle is based on Argentine director Natalia Smirnoff's film Rompecabezas (2010). It stars Kelly Macdonald (of "Boardwalk Empire" fame) as Agnes, a Catholic housewife living in a suburb of Bridgeport, CT. She's married to Louie (David Denman) and they have two 20ish sons, Ziggy and Gabe. Agnes is a confirmed Luddite, eschewing the use of a cell phone except for emergencies. If you can buy it, after getting a jigsaw puzzle for her birthday, and rediscovering a childhood interest in such games, she takes a train to New York City for the first time, to purchase some additional jigsaw puzzles. She could have saved herself a trip by ordering from Amazon but it never occurs to her to ask any of her friends or family members how to make a purchase online. The trip to New York City is the convenient way in which Agnes suddenly is thrust out of her hum-drum existence and reaches an existential crisis in the form of a new relationship (we'll get to that in a minute). Puzzle lacks a solid antagonist so it's Agnes' internal demons that create the conflict and propel the plot forward. What's she's up against on the family front is wholly generic and predictable in nature. All we find out about Louie are the standard melodramatic tropes: he's an auto mechanic who hates his job and demands that Agnes conform to the role of subservient wife. When he learns that she's entered a jigsaw puzzle competition, his boorish, inappropriate reaction highlights his lack of likability as a character. The same goes for the sons: Ziggy hates working for his father and would rather go to culinary school; Gabe wants to postpone college and trek in Tibet with his vegan girlfriend. All the angst permeates the family and creates a team of confirmed sad sacks (note that humor is significantly absent from the narrative). In other words, it's hard to care for characters who dislike themselves so much. Agnes at least strives for something different. Still it's hard to believe that a sheltered heavily religious (Catholic) housewife (as they depict her here) would seek out a jigsaw puzzle partner and go over to his house without first meeting him on the outside. The relationship between Robert (played by Indian actor Irrfan Khan) and Agnes provides the narrative with the hook that saves the story from complete mediocrity. Yes, what goes on between Robert and Agnes is at least slightly interesting compared to the dull machinations back in Bridgeport. Nonetheless, Robert turns out to be a sketchy character at best. We find out that he made a lot of money after patenting and marketing an invention (the details are not provided). He also likes to watch disasters on the TV news. That's about it. Where is he from? What does he do besides jigsaw puzzles? No clue! Equally disappointing is how director Marc Turtletaub fails to illuminate how the jigsaw competition works (it's merely a vehicle for Robert and Agnes' interactions). Granted, a jigsaw puzzle competition isn't exactly the basis for thrilling action sequences. Nonetheless, it's an important part of the plot, which seems to have been glanced over too conveniently. What happens with the relationship between Robert and Agnes? This perhaps is the only thread here that keeps your interest. Why a woman like Agnes (given her prior life experience) would want to have an affair with (the mostly unknown) Robert, is a valid question. Even if you don't buy it, at least she goes back to the husband at film's end. Kelly Macdonald's performance keeps the film afloat until it sinks under its own weight of predictability. In the end Turtletaub's portrait of a provincial, working class family is stereotypical-what was needed were characters wholly more complex than proffered here.

It is one of the best movies of the year. Kelly McDonald should get a nomination and the rest of the cast specially Irrfan Khan are a pleasure to watch. I wish they were more movies like that!!!

The story is sweet and encouraging. It does a good job telling the stage where the protagonist, Agnes, is going through. A kind of boring life, dedicated to her family and religion, and she finally finds something she loves doing and that she's really good at. Great performance by the talented Kelly Macdonald.Her husband character was a strong archetype and that hurt my rating to this movie. He was not supportive to his wife and kids, he thinks cooking is a women thing, he is even a little violent, he likes fishing and wears t-shirts with the American flag. No wonder you won't like his character and automatically side for Agnes (Kelly Macdonald).Recommended and probably deserves a little better rating than it has.

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.