Making Choices is a “Puzzle”

 

Review by John Delia, Sr.

Putting the pieces together is not the only reward in the movie Puzzle as the film takes you into the inner sanctum of a woman who finds that there is more to life than living on everyone else’s level. Its a story of fiction, but with an interesting resolve that most woman dare not take. Nicely acted and directed, the film is a treasure and an eye opener for women 30 plus, but, if you are a woman who believes in Agnes’s choice, it may open a door leading to a road of no return. It is nice finding this gem in the middle of an action filled movie summer breathes fresh drama air back into the cinema.

Reaching her 40’s Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) has had a very common life tending to her husband’s wishes and bringing up two boys. Demands don’t stop there as she’s also dealing with the care for her father. We find Agnes with some angst expectations for her birthday party that’s about to make her another year older in this humdrum life. But, this year she finds a nice surprise in a gift from her Aunt Emily (Audrie Neenan), a puzzle.

During the birthday dinner we find that her husband Louie (David Denman) owns his own auto repair shop and his son Ziggy (Bubba Weiler) works for him. Her son Gabe (Austin Abrams) is still in school, but is about to graduate and his girlfriend Nicki (Liv Hewson) who’s a Buddhist vegan wants him to study with her abroad. The two are openly sexual and show their affection at the dinner table something Agnes dislikes.

The next day, after getting everyone going their separate ways, she opens the puzzle box and dumps out all of the 1000 pieces on the kitchen table. Within a few hours she has completed the map of the world in glorious color. Proud at what she has done she visits a game shop in New York and picks out another puzzle. On the way out of the shop she sees a sign posted by a man named Robert (Irrfan Khan) looking for a puzzle partner to enter a competition.

So begins a story of a strange friendship that takes Agnes into choices for her future and a chance to analyze her family. Director Mark Turtletaub accomplishes his objective of bringing a real life drama to the screen, but this film about a seven-year-itch can be a gamble. With an audience target of mostly women on a subject of choosing whether to stay or break up a family certainly opens a can a worms so to speak. He makes his case as if it’s a relatively easy choice for his vulnerable Agnes. She’s unhappy with her situation, but has willingly chosen her fate of being with faithful Louie for the kids. Her sons have not developed to her liking however, with the eldest unhappy working with his father who sees him taking over the business in the far future. And, her teenage son Gabe is fantasizing with high hopes of taking his girlfriend to live in Europe totally against Agnes’s wishes. With the family pulling her from all sides she meets a stranger and finds him very amicable and about to open the door a crack toward a different future.

The acting in the film is very good especially Kelly Macdonald who gives an Oscar consideration performance as the plane Jane living a boring life. She makes Agnes a gentle woman who has an ability to put pieces together without grouping them in colors. It’s a telling point that she’s open to anything other than her unexciting life. She also doesn’t do the borders of the puzzle first, as she’s afraid to be locked into to her present situation. Showing she has a high degree of spatial relations, her Agnes can fit pieces together just by looking at them and decide how well she’ll fit into a final picture. But most of all she’s fast at putting it all together no matter how big the puzzle or how colorful it may be a decision will be forthcoming. She is the puzzle and Kelly works the movie to the very interesting outcome.

Puzzle has been rated R by the MPAA for language. The movie also has a scene of inferred sex. Women will be the dominant audience for this one and watching it with friends should make for interesting chat upon leaving the theater.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film for its acting and direction. (3.5 out of 5 Stars)

Additional Film Information:
Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Liv Hewson, Audrie Neenan, Daniel Sherman, Austin Abrams, Bubba Weiler, Helen Piper Coxe, Lori Hammel
Directed by: Mark Turtletaub
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R for Language
Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.
Opening Date: August 24, 2018
Distributed by: Sony Classics
Released in: Standard