What Maisie Knew is an undeniably uncomfortable film to sit through. Whether you have had to be a part of your parents' divorce or not...this is a film that will hit you where it hurts. As someone whose parents got divorced when I was just 7....it especially spoke to me. Perhaps this is why I am putting my foot down and saying this is an excellent film. This is not without reservations, however, as one of the main characters in this film is perhaps one of the meanest characters in the history of Hollywood. I'll get to that in a second.
The film stars Onata Aprile as Maisie...a little girl whose parents, Susanna (Julianne Moore) and Beale (Steve Coogan) are going through a very rough divorce. The first half of the film shows how they use Maisie against one another in order to make the other look bad. The second half of the film more focuses on Maisie's new found relationship with Susanna's new husband, Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard) and her on going relationship with Beale's new wife, Margo (Joanna Vanderham.)
The character I'm referring to as being so mean and I forget to mention, so unpleasant is Susanna. She doesn't even try to be a good mother and we can see from the second the film opens that Maisie shouldn't be in her care. This is not to say Moore is bad in the film. On the contrary, she makes the character so unlikable to the point where we want to go inside the screen and tell her off. This is an extremely impressive feat for any actor. Coogan is good as the dad who's always away on business. Vanderham is good---showing real emotion as she discovers her life isn't as great as she expected it might have been.
However, Aprile and Skarsgard are the real standouts here. Completely underplaying her role and yet never giving off a false note...Aprile shows extreme emotion in the character of Maisie. She maintains our sympathy and a rooting interest as we see this little girl being used as a pawn in the divorce. Aprile also knows how to act with her eyes. This is a much harder thing to do than one might think. When you look deep into her eyes...you see a girl who is hurt and broken inside. Skarsgard also makes us root for his character...even at his worst. Lincoln is made into such a nice guy by the actor's performance that he gives us no reason not to like him. The film also shares the wealth so to speak. It gives the audience a sense of what a messy divorce is like even if they haven't directly experienced one. Walking out of the theater...I can safely say that everyone will now feel as if they have been in these people's lives directly.
The film is based on an 18th century novel by Henry James but somehow this version seems most relevant today. The screenplay by first timer Nancy Doyne and second timer Carroll Cartwright is filled with tons of sharp dialogue. Also...the direction by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (who previously did two other solid films---The Deep End and Bee Season) is beautiful and authentic. If for nothing else...see What Maisie Knew for the performances.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for some language)
No comments:
Post a Comment