Puzzle (2018)

IMO this movie decided to 'go serious', like an Independent film as opposed to a Hollywood crowd pleaser. If remade as the latter, the producers would cast a popular comedienne, & change the husband from an oppressive anachronism to a goofy husband who supports his wife, who we find out is a genius puzzle maker. As it is, Kelly MacDonald is very watchable as the sad wife, but the male chauvinistic husband is from another era. As the unhappy Agnes, MacDonald isn't always likable or understandable. She calls one of her sons a 'punk' unnecessarily, I thought. She can be as equally difficult as her husband. But as I said, she's still an interesting actress with a compelling face. She meets an attrative 'puzzle partner', a man from another culture, who falls in love with her---a better partner I can't imagine for Agnes, but her reactions (plural) to him are a little puzzling, which is a good word for this movie.

Gotta love them independent movies. I try to go out and watch whatever I can with my Moviepass, and thought this looked like an interesting film. Kelly Macdonald is pretty underrated, having seen her and her acting talents o Boardwalk Empire. After watching the film, I thought it was simplistic, understated, but highlighted loneliness and what people do to seek out comfort from others.The film follows Agnes who is a bored housewife. Her relationship isn't exactly stimulating and she is seeking a challenge in her life to escape the mundane day to day she experiences. She stumbles across an ad from a man seeking a puzzle partner for a competition. When she meets him she reinvigorates her love for solving puzzles and also starts to bond and fall for her competition partner. This of course, causes waves in her relationship with her family and she must seek a way to balance both.The film can feel slow and uneventful for many people, I get it. It is definitely one where there is a lack of events, but the heart of the film is really in the portrayal of Agnes. She is somewhat subservient to the whims of her husband at first but then finds her voice and truly goes for what she wants. Its a depiction of loneliness, which is so common for most of us and the amazing moment where we think we find something new to do to occupy our lives.The chemistry between Irfan Khan and Kelly Macdonald is good and I think that's what gets you to stay invested in the film. You would think that a film about two people putting puzzles together would be boring, on the contrary I found it simple and rather enjoyable. Its not something to write home about (despite me writing about it now) but its something you could see if you ever felt bored and needed something to pass the time. Much like the leads in this film.7/10

See Rompecabezas, a charming Argentine version of this story. great acting! It will be interesting to see this one, looking forward to it, Kelly MacDonald is such a good actress.

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.