Maggie's Plan (2016)

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The actors are really good in this. And you really feel for them, even when they go through stuff, where you might go "so what?"! But it can still feel like a drag for some, which is why the viewers are split on this one. I did enjoy personally to a degree, but it's still not as good as some other indie movies are.What may be surprising to some, is the casual nudity that is being displayed. On the other hand I heard Americans are not as frigid anymore as they used to be ... generally speaking, not when it comes to the rating board of course. But this is more than just a shell, it's about how to grow up, when to grow up and what to make of ones life ... Which boils down to decisions ...

Review: Although I knew this was going to be a chick flick, I was expecting it be witty, especially after seeing Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph in the cast but I did get a bit bored with the plot, because it seemed to be going round in circles. The movie is mainly about Maggie (Greta Gerwig), who has a terrible track record of relationships, and really wants to have a baby. After failing to go down the surrogate route, she finally falls for John Harding (Ethan Hawke), who is married to Georgette (Julianne Moore), with 3 kids. When John eventually leaves Georgette for Maggie, they have a little girl together but while he is struggling with his novel, Maggie starts to sense cracks in there relationship. She tries her best to make there relationship work but she becomes a glorified babysitter for all of the kids, which puts a strain on her career. She also can tell that John is unhappy with there marriage, so she puts together a plan to make John fall back in love with Georgette, as she feels guilty for taking him from his ex-wife. Strange but true! Julianne Moore and Ethan Hawke put in there usually top performance and Greta Gerwig was perfect for the leading role but there wasn't enough material to make the movie interesting. There was a few touching moments, like when Maggie was having a bath with her young girl but I still struggled to stay awake through the whole movie. Anyway, although the outcome was pretty predictable, it's still an average watch with some decent performances. Average!Round-Up: This movie was directed by Rebecca Miller, 54, who also brought you Angela in 1995, Personal Velocity: Three Portraits, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, and the Private Lives of Pippa Lee starring Robin Wright and Winona Ryder. She did put together quite a decent cast for this project, so I can honestly can say that the fault wasn't with the performances. I mainly had a problem with the script, which lacked originality and decent humour. I have seen worse in this genre but I still got bored after a while.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $4.9millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/romance/dramas, starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph and Wallace Shawn. 3/10

In this awful film, screenwriter-director Rebecca Miller aspires to a Woody Allen-style drama-comedy. The characters are pseudo sophisticated New Yorkers engaged in a game of musical love chairs. Like Allen's recent screenplays, "Maggie's Plan" even attempts to draw upon a classic work work of literature in Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Unfortunately, the film fails in all of these goals.The main ingredient that is missing is Woody Allen's clever dialogue. His own films often feature well-known actors stretching into a flimsy roles. The sparkling dialogue can compensate for plot holes and far-fetched situations. In "Maggie's Dream," the situations are entirely unbelievable, especially in the lead character of Maggie (Greta Gerwig). It was never apparent that she was in love with the writer-professor John Harding (Ethan Hawke). And it was never credible that she too was a faculty member, who never brought any worked home.The third part of the love triangle was a star turn by Julianne Moore, affecting a strange Slavic accent as Georgette, another member of the New York intelligentsia. The serial adultery of the characters was not funny, and the family system was as disturbing as that of "August: Osage County." By the end of the film, the viewer recognizes that Maggie never really had a "plan," especially for her own life. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," it is possible to empathize with the young people, who are the victims of magic tricks played on them in the forest. In "Maggie's Plan," the tricks played by Maggie, John, and Georgette are neither amusing nor life-affirming. And the reason is that they are being played on themselves.

Okay, my first impression was...that guy looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? His movements look so familiar....wait, is that...Ragnar Lothbrok? And he's selling pickles? Okay, where will this movie go 'cuz now I'm watching it.And....it goes where so many pretentious New York movies go....into that realm where adults are BFFE's and living a life that can not possibly be lived if this movie was filmed in the suburbs of say, anywhere that isn't New York. I didn't find Julianne Moore's and Ethan Hawke's relationship all that convincing. Or maybe it was poor development of Hawke's character that was the problem. It is implied that he was once (maybe?) as ambitious as his wife, but not so much anymore? They just came off as a mismatch. And Maggie's character wasn't built strong enough to bat on that power duo's team. And what was with the kumbaya polygamist mothering with the two women? Suddenly, all is well in their world? Aggh, New York, I guess. At least that's what the writer wants us to believe.In this movie, people talk a lot, rather fast, and they all have a tendency to mumble. I found that distracting. It's not a terrible movie to sit through, but it might make you want to eat some good pickles.