What Maisie Knew (2013)

Redundant and unnecessary.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Brilliant and touching

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This film tells the story of a 7 year old girl, who witnesses her parents' divorce, custody battle and subsequent build-ups and break downs of relationships."What Maisie Knew" is very interesting because it is told from a child's perspective. It follows that the girl sees and hears, and we see her world through her play and her conversations to other adults. Though the plot is rather grim, the filmmakers manage to portray the events without being overly dramatic. This makes it surprisingly easy and pleasant to watch. It pains me to see Maisie being thrown like a ball from one adult to another, yet Maisie is still holding up without showing negativity. It shows that Maisie's world is untainted and innocent. It almost feels like there is a glimmer of hope and love through the child's eyes, despite being entangled in the messed up adult world.

I saw What Maisie Knew months ago in the theater, and yet I keep thinking about it. They got to the heart of the material. The casting and emotional tenor is perfect. I keep thinking about the characters as if I knew them. This is a haunting movie of the break up of a family and the resilience of a child. I highly recommend it. Having had a mother a bit like the Julianne Moore character, I was profoundly moved by the caustic effects of a selfish parent. She was wonderful. To think it was adapted from a Henry James story is interesting, that there could be parents so self centered one hundred years back. Sad, yet Maise finds what she needs and holds the moral center of the movie. The settings were poignant and poetic. Somehow the entire production gets to the heart of the heartbreak of a child.

I read, years ago, a comment by a psychologist that the ability to nurture is the highest level of human emotional behaviour for nurturing requires a person to place another's well-being either equal to or above one's own. And this is where some parents fall so short as they may love their child dearly, but are unable to reconcile their wants and needs with those of their children.What Masie knows is that her parents love her, but for various reasons both have a very limited ability, if any, to nurture. In the last scene when Maisie touches her mother's shoulder, Maisie demonstrates what they lack: the capacity to offer comfort and love despite disappointments and limitations in life or in character.

This little girl was so intriguing to watch, I was even reminded of my self at that age. It was really a shame her parents couldn't get over themselves and really see her and what she was going through. I started to get upset when Maisie was continually abandoned places over and over without anyone making sure there was an adult there to watch her. I tried to calm down and not let it affect my feelings for the movie. I kept thinking this can't happen, someone would call the cops, especially when she was left at the restaurant. Then I realized this is a reality for some kids and many children have it much worse. Maisie's mother just had no control over her emotions or behavior. She loved to throw words around like "MY daughter" Yet she was so quick to leave her with other people without so much as checking up on her. She was so selfish, Lincoln said it best when he told her "you don't deserve her." I was really hoping Lincoln and Margot would just take Maisie away. Her idiot mother completely over reacted to everything! Shame on her for making Maisie feel bad about being close with Lincoln. Maisie finally has someone who pays attention to her its natural to be fond of that person. In the end you see her mom does love her I think she just is not sure how to be responsible and put her kid first. I think thats the point of this film, maybe some parents don't see what they are doing to their kid. Even small little things and comments you make over time affect your child. This film showing "what Maisie knows" really does that perfectly.