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Living in provincial Connecticut, married to an auto mechanic with two grown sons, Agnes resembles a church mouse, suppressing her own aspirations in order to maintain an ordered household. On the surface, she appears to be a devoted wife and mother, but timidity and low self-esteem have disconnected her from family, friends and herself. A jigsaw puzzle birthday gift leads to Agnes learning she possesses a hidden talent for piecing together these games of fragmented images - and this discovery opens the door to new experiences which force her to question how she's living her life.

Agnes' journey doesn't follow a smooth or conventional path as she struggles to liberate herself from self-inflicted shackles as well as those imposed by others. Kelly McDonald shows her usual excellence, range and subtlety in the lead role, with the script and direction complementing her talents nicely. Although the story's action takes place on a small stage, the characters' are confronted with major issues and upheavals before Agnes is able to figure out what she really wants, and begin the process of realizing it.

Ah, to wake up one morning after just celebrating one's own birthday and to ask yourself the proverbial question "what have I done with my life?" Well that is exactly what our lead actress Kelly Macdonald does as she plays the wife/mother named Agnes and starts fervently putting the matching pieces together of the new puzzle gifted to her at last nights birthday celebration.

Agnes begins to wonder about her own accomplishments these past 20 plus years of blissful marriage and motherhood to two young men/sons. Agnes finds she is torn between her faithful yet androcentric auto mechanic husband Louie (David Denman), and the new man in her life, (the recently seperated form his own wife) Robert (Irrfan Khan) who she met by accident while purchasing a new puzzle. Robert opens up Agnes's mind to the vast possibilities that still await her in the midst of jointly yet secretively working on new puzzles each week in an effort to compete at world puzzle competitions.

This film is about family dynamics, a mother/woman's awakening, and new beginnings. I do believe that there is a percentage of our population that find their true calling much later in life and although our film heroine Agnes, has led a decent life raising two sons and caring for her husband Louie, Agnes realizes there is more to life than just getting by each day in servitude to her three men.

Both Mrs. Shullivan and I enjoyed this dramatic film, just as we enjoy completing a 1,000 piece puzzle from time to time. I just hope Mrs. Shullivan doesn't feel the urge as Agnes did and start looking on-line for a new puzzle partner.

I give Puzzle a decent 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.

This low-key drama has Kelly MacDonald as a timid housewife who goes through a form of self-discovery when she discovers she has a skill in completing jigsaw puzzles.

The main strength of this one is probably in the acting of MacDonald whose character is consistently a little bit strange, yet identifiable. The entire story is from her perspective so the drama does sort of hinge on her performance and it is very good. She is supported well by the others, with Irrfan Khan best as a fellow puzzle maker she hooks up with and develops feelings for. The film is essentially a family drama, with MacDonald as a taken-for-granted housewife who goes through the process of realising that her voice is never heard and building up the confidence to more fully be her own person. Unlike other films about people with unusual competitive skills such as Populaire (2012) (fast typing), there is next to no focus on the competitive nature of the puzzle building; so, there is sadly no montage sequence depicting MacDonald and Khan developing their puzzle-based friendship via a few set-backs, some jigsaw-based comedy antics and ultimately some top-level puzzle solving action. Its not that kind of a film. The puzzle aspect sits in the background and acts as a springboard for all the drama that surrounds it. A good film overall.

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

I managed to attend the European premier of this at the opening night gala of the Edinburgh Film Festival. In the past some of the movies chosen to open the Edinburgh festival have been poor quality and chosen due to their links with Scotland. However in this case they managed to pick a movie which may just be one of the best on show this year. The story is about a mother of two who seems more of less content with her family life but on her birthday is presented with a jigsaw puzzle. Her life is so predictable she knows what her husband will say before he does. Completing this puzzle seems to give her a sense of achievement which she doesn't seem to be able to find anywhere else in her life. This sets her off on a mission to find more puzzles to complete and opens up a new life for her...possibly. The tone of the movie is somewhat offbeat, quite a few times there were members of the audience laughing at what seemed inappropriate times. You also have to suspend your disbelief for the story to work. It takes a while before you notice the movie is set in the present day. The main character is somewhat strange as well, its unclear if her quirky behaviour is supposed to be due to a sheltered life or something like Aspergers/OCD. The reason I think its like an old fashioned fairy tale, up to a point is there is a handsome rich stranger who comes into her life via her interest in puzzles, who has the potential to whisk her away from a life of domestic drudgery. Its very much a story told from a female perspective at the expense of her husbands' there is more a little bit of selfishness in the main character which to me makes her less sympathetic. Its an interesting film and worth the watch although how you respond will largely be down to whether you find this a movie about someone who is blinkered and selfish or someone escaping from a humdrum life of family responsibility. You decide.

The opening scene of the new domestic drama "Puzzle" seems to take place in a bygone era. Come to find out it is present day. The woman we see behaves as if from a time past.

Mousy, repressed, self-conscience and ultra-OCD, Agnes (Kelly Macdonald in an arresting turn) is living a life dedicated to the age old adage "A woman's place is in the home." Everything she does is for someone else-her husband, sons, church, newfound lover. Nary a thought for herself. Hell, she even throws her own birthday party for crissakes. She speaks little, but her remarkably expressive, yet forlorn, face veritably screams out for something different. Something more.

At the aforementioned sad soiree she receives a gift which she later opens alone. It's a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Her life will never again be the same. From that point on Agnes embarks upon a journey of the soul. A reawakening of the spirit. The birth of renewed purpose. And, gosh darn it, the girl's finally having herself some flat out fun and games.

Just a decent piece of poetry for all ordinary people who dared to make extaordinary choices even once in a lifetime. And unlike the puzzles you manage to finish, you got no control of every of your days as life itself, the hardest of all puzzles it is and will be. Real, emotional, cinematography.

Love these types of movies!

A triumphant portrait of middle-aged emotional truth, Puzzle might be last year's best performed movie to be seen by the least people, an absolute gem of a story that peddles sympathetic humanism whilst expertly detailing relationship complexity and personal aspiration.

A powerhouse of a movie, led by the astounding nuanced performance of Kelly Macdonald. She portrays Agnes, a very introverted homemaker in a lifeless marriage, but who has a passion and genius for jigsaw puzzles.

Irrfan Khan is also exceptional in the role of Robert, who advertises for a jigsaw puzzle partner for an upcoming competition, and to which Agnes replies. The two will not only work well together on the puzzles, but will teach each other some valuable life's lessons as well.

David Denman is also totally believable here as Louie, Agnes' rather selfish lunkhead of a husband. I just thought the acting, direction, and writing in this film was spot on.

Overall, just an outstanding drama laced with humor and led by Macdonald's superb performance.

Puzzle is the last Hollywood work of Late Irrfan Khan with a lead role. so I suggest his fans should watch this movie at least once. As most drama movies are slow and subtle in nature and so is puzzle. Kelly Macdonald played the role of Agnes very well, she's the center point of the movie and you'll find her in almost every frame imitating the perfect emotions as character requires. The film showcases nothing but the pure honesty and confused feelings (very relate bale) with genuine emotions.

Or maybe you're all just very young... the movie didn't cover ground that hasn't been covered before, granted. but that's true of most movies at this point in our species's history. so it comes down to the way it's told. and this one is told sparingly and, at times, poetically and funny. lots of it is bittersweet. and the ending will probably prove unsatisfying to many. but this, all told, is VERY good storytelling. deceptively simple, but rich in substance. and lots is being said without any dialogue. it's an 'art film'. parts reminding me of a hopper painting. obviously not for everyone. it's simple. but it's not FOR the simple...

This movie tells the story of a white suburban housewife dissatisfied with her life and looking for a way to escape the monotony. She finds her calling when she gets a jigsaw puzzle as a birthday gift and realizes she has a natural talent for it. The spark, however, ignites more than just her passion for the game; It restructures her entire world. By the end of the movie she ends up being someone else entirely, almost like a butterfly breaking out of its cucoon and flying away. The cucoon is her husband and the structure of control that he subjects upon her.

It's a good movie flavored by the engaging performances by the lead actors Kelly MacDonald and Irrfan Khan. It further benefits from a balanced screenplay that manages to inject humor in places where you would least expect it. It also reflects on life and meaning of choices, which makes you think and that is what sticks with you long after the credits roll. Though the ending is almost predictable (almost!), it leaves you satisfied for having watched a well-made movie.

To define it as a beautiful film seems enough. Without any explanation. Because it is the perfect film about loneliness, family, passion and resurrection of be alive. Because it is defined by splendid acting, great story, superb cinematography. It is one of films who you can fall in love with . A motif - Kelly Macdonald giving one of her best roles. Or the chemistry between her and Irfan Khan. Or just few scenes , absolutely magical. A film about loneliness and freedom. A magnificent one.

Is this an Indie film? Whatever. I've been a Kelly McDonald fan since Gosford Park. I mean, "What purpose could it possibly serve?" And I love puzzles. We've seen the quiet desperation of forlorn housewives portrayed before. This one just felt honest and good, to me anyways. Thank you.

It's a well crafted and fun watch that's as smooth as the sip of a first pint and on its own, just as pointless.

I watched with a fan of puzzles who wanted to see it as a result of all the trailer lines that this movie has in it. And for her, it satisfied, all except the ending. I get that the ending can't be Kelly MacDonald's character having another strong man take her under his wing, however the politics of her actually taking him for a ride, using and abusing him and then leaving him when she needs him, is quite tough to swallow.

Without learning anything about this tender lost soul (Irrfan Khan) we're left to wonder why his wife left him, why he's bereft of ideas, how much and for what reasons he loved Kelly MacDonald. I kept waiting for these pieces like a puzzle to fall in to place and the movie resists us. It may have been trying to avoid cliche and show him as part of her growth, and centre the film around her blossoming in to a strong independent person, but then they should have thought about making him less likeable and relatable, fun, and in desperate need of companionship. It feels like her journey was almost entirely selfish, breaking the hearts of two men in the process, one of whom they have to make slightly aggressive in an ugly, ham-fisted way.

This leads in to the messy ending that feels unearned and undermined by the preceding few minutes. And while it's nice to see a film about someone slightly different without having to label her with a malady of some kind, it's a wash with not knowing what story it wants to tell and what film it wants to be. In terms of pacing and photography it looks like an affordable little film made extremely well. And I have to say for the most part I did enjoy it. But the pieces did not all fall together perfectly and unfortunately Puzzle is missing a few pieces hardyhardyhar etc etc guffaw aren't i funny.

This film touched me deeply. It made me think. It made me feel human.

Kelly Macdonald is a wonderful talent! I was first impressed with her in "No Country for Old Men". She totally blew me away in "Puzzle"! That she did not win major awards for this only shows how shallow Hollywood, and perhaps this entire generation, has become.

This is a MUST SEE FILM!

Watching this movie took me back to the last century when films were mostly all about story and character development and not devised to smash our senses with special effects, loud music and predictable over the top plots.

This well crafted piece is a joy to watch and provides the perfect platform for some superb acting all round, especially by Scots actor, Kelly McDonald (Agnes) who plays the lonely, frustrated and subservient housewife. Her performance (including very accurate NE USA accent) is one of great subtlety often conveying thoughts through her forlorn eyes and faint smiles. The story is centred around Agnes' escape from her discontented life in the face of her husband (Louie) - who, though a loyal fairly decent man is beyond being stuck in his ways as he settles for mid-life drudgery with his worst crime being that he takes his hardworking wife for granted.

Despite her fairly insular and mundane existence, Agnes' brain is sharp and she maintains it by doing jigsaw puzzles in her spare time. Her curious mind drives her to explore new horizons via her puzzle pastime, as she ventures into the big smoke with dual purpose, to visit her ailing, elderly Aunt and to shop for new jigsaw puzzles. This pursuit leads her down an existential crossroads.

Look out for some clever touches and devices in the development of the storyline as the characters change at different paces and in different directions.

The cinematography captures New York and its suburbs in crisp autumnal tones. Puzzle is not a glossy film about up state New York life but a down to earth true life drama about very plausible people in real situations. The interior sets create great contrast - the suburban house appearing dark and claustrophobic to convey Agnes' trapped environment whilst the other properties (she visits in NYC) are light and spacious to highlight openness, freedom and hope.

The film's title is "Puzzle" and though the drama is not exactly a puzzle, it is intriguing and does show how life itself can be a puzzle caused by events that are almost meant to be.

If you like meaningful films, this understated drama is definitely worth watching.