Puzzle

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.