PUZZLE
US, 2018, 103 minutes, Colour.
Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Austin Abrams, Bubba Weiler.
Directed by Marc Turtletaub.
For the most of the time this is a rather quiet film – but it builds up a great deal of interior momentum, surfacing doubts, fears, angers.
The puzzle of the title is actually a jigsaw puzzle (and it is a remake of a very sympathetic Argentinian film of 2009, Rompecabezas). The setting this time is Bridgeport Connecticut with excursions into New York City.
The central character is Agnes, a sympathetic Kelly Macdonald, married for almost 20 years to Louie, who works in a garage (David Denman). They have two children, the older working in the garage but wanting to be a cook, and the younger preparing to go to college but wanting a gap year in Tibet with his Buddhist girlfriend.
What could be likely to happen in this family, especially with Agnes who has lived the life of a subdued housewife (taking it for granted), mother, church worker (with some scenes at the church, comments about lessening crowds for confession, receiving and wearing the ashes on Ash Wednesday)? Louie is a man who has lived an enclosed life, moving from home to garage to home, his hobby of fishing one of the most important things in his life, never watching the news, thinking his older son is lazy because he dislikes working in the garage, wondering about his younger son and his going to college.
There is a telling sequence at the beginning where Louis clumsily breaks a plate at a birthday party while Agnes is working and cooking – and the audience then discovering it is Agnes’s birthday party – and Agnes searches for the pieces to put them together again. This prepares us for her response to one of the gifts, a jigsaw puzzle. She finds that she can put the puzzle together very quickly, feelings of exhilaration and achievement.
When she goes into New York to buy some more puzzles, she finds a number to text, someone wanting a puzzle partner. In a moment of daring, she texts and receives a reply. Without telling the family, she goes to New York to meet the partner, Robert (an inventor played by Irrfan Khan). She is very tentative, rather prim, not realising she is intrigued by Robert and his personality, way of life. They are very successful in working together at the puzzles – and he enrols them for the championships.
What will happen to Agnes in this opening up of her life? Will she tell her husband or not? How will she deal with her sons and their hopes? What if she persuades Louis to sell their holiday home and property to fund their sons? What if she becomes emotionally involved with Robert?
These are the many questions which we would expect to be raised by the screenplay – and they are. We empathise with Agnes. We hope that Louis will change. We wonder what influence Robert will have on Agnes.
From quiet beginnings, serious questions, serious emotions, serious moral decisions.
This is a film about the lives of ordinary, very ordinary people – which most audiences could identify with, empathise with, even learn from.
1. A small story, most audiences identifying with the characters, the situations? Universal themes of humanity?
2. The title, the focus, the jigsaw puzzles, the mental activity, the senses activity, eye, putting the pieces together, the achievement?
3. The origins of the film in Argentina, transferring characters and situations to the United States? Bridgeport, Connecticut, and New York city?
4. The settings, homes, the garage and repairs, the railway station, the train trips, the church? Grand Central Station, the streets and landscapes of New York City? Robert’s house, the interiors? The musical score?
5. Kelly Macdonald as Agnes, the portrait of Agnes, her age, marriage, almost two decades, keeping the house, domestic work, the two sons? The Hungarian background and drawing on it? Her family, going to church, her church work, the discussions about confessions not being so frequent, Ash Wednesday the ashes and travelling with them? The priest offering to help? The party, the guests, the discovery that it was Agnes’s birthday, making the cake? Louie breaking the plate, her wanting to put it together, intimation of skill with puzzles? The older son, working in the garage, his resentment, his father condemning him as lazy, his confiding in his mother about wanting to cook? The younger son, preparing for college, writing the letter for admission, his Buddhist girlfriend, the meals and discussions? The discussion about vegans?
6. Agnes and Louie and their rather narrow life, not watching the news on television, Louie going fishing, their holiday house? The issue of the sale, to support the two boys, going to college? The money Is a gift?
7. The birthday present, the jigsaw puzzle, Agnes solving it? Going to the shop, buying other puzzles? The information about the text for the jigsaw puzzle partner? Her response, daring, quick responses? The decision to visit? No permissions from her husband or family? The pretext of visiting her aunt?
8. Robert, the inventor, in himself, separation from his wife, his skills, love of puzzles? His preoccupation with world news, disasters, Agnes’s reaction? The visits, their working together, the methods, the episode with the tea, her continued coming to visit? The attraction, the kiss? The Ash Wednesday ashes on her forehead? The sexual encounter, sleep, arriving home late?
9. The fishing sequence, the discussion about selling the house, the gift for their sons? His reaction, to the older son and his cooking, the younger son and his wanting a gap year in Tibet?
10. The lies about the aunt being sick, yet one visit, church, the reactions of the women? The priest offering counsel?
11. Louie, ordinary, basic prejudices, narrow perspective, upset with his wife, yet his love for her, the bedroom scenes, snoring…? Unable to talk after finding out the truth? His relationship
with his sons, expectations, that his sons be manly?
12. Agnes’s decision, to go to the finals, the winning? Discussions about the prize?
13. The reaction, Robert phoning her, the decision not to travel, to stay home? With Louie, with each of her sons?
14. The transformation in Agnes, the future?
