Puzzle

First Hit: I thoroughly enjoyed this poignant film about a woman finding herself through a passion.

There was a moment in this film when Robert (Irrfan Khan), tells his new jigsaw puzzling partner Agnes’ (Kelly Macdonald), that what makes puzzling so satisfying is that it is one of the few things in life that she can control completely. His dialogue is far more eloquent than how I wrote this previous sentence; however, it doesn’t take away from the truth of it.

Agnes is married to Louie (David Denman) who owns an auto repair business. Their youngest son Gabe (Austin Abrams) is sometimes seen as the “prince” of the two boys because he gets good grades in high-school. The older boy Ziggy (Bubba Weiler) works at his dad’s auto repair garage and is both sullen and lost in life.

Louie runs the show at home because Agnes has served her family as she thought her role was. It is generally felt that she didn’t deserve to have her own desires and wishes paid attention to. In fact, she has totally ignored herself. She takes care of the men in her life doing everything for them, their laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking them their meals. She serves in her church the same way.

At a birthday party gives herself, because no one else would have, she gets an iPhone from her family which she resists and also a 1,000, piece puzzle. Feeling down and acknowledging an inner curiosity, she pulls out the puzzle box and works to solve it.

Watching her solve the puzzle, the audience sees a subtle glow of satisfaction at accomplishing something on her own. A spark has been lit and it was perfectly shared with the audience. Curiously pulling out an old puzzle in the basement she finds that at only 100 pieces, she solves it quickly and with less satisfaction.

Calling the person who gave her the puzzle to find out where it was purchased, she's told that it was at a small store an intersection in New York City. Agnes’ facial expression was perfect. She hadn’t been into NYC for years and had been stuck in her little town. The trip to the city was priceless as the cost of the train and taxi to the little puzzle store, both surprised and intimidated her.

Leaving the shop with two new puzzles, she sees a posting for someone looking for a puzzle partner. She writes down the texting phone number. Sending a text, it gets immediately responded to. She goes back into the city to meet Robert who tells her he’s looking for someone to partner with in a puzzling competition. Taken slightly aback she decides to interview for this partnership by doing a puzzle with and for him. Completing the puzzle in record time, he’s impressed.

This is the films’ set-up. The rest of the film is a wonderfully paced story about how through this puzzling partnership, Agnes discovers her herself and her voice not only towards Robert but also her family. One of the most beautiful scenes was when she goes to help sort out Louie’s invoices and books, when her and Ziggy get into a conversation and he admits, he’d like to be a chef and that is the only thing he really enjoys doing.

There are wonderful scenes of Agnes and Robert puzzling, Agnes using her voice to tell her family subtly and not so subtly that this are changing for her and therefore them. She does this with love in her heart and without anger or malice.

Macdonald was sublime. I was captured by her micro expressions of strength, sadness, love, and guilt. I was fully transfixed on her expressions as well as physical movements. Khan was fantastic as the inventor who fell in love with Agnes and that puzzling filled his life with controlled joy. Denman was perfect as Agnes’ husband in that he felt he was man of the house, charged with making all the decisions, yet his vulnerability was exquisite when he asked if she was having an affair. Abrams was very good as the younger, easy going son who felt a bit entitled. Weiler was amazing as the struggling son, looking for a way through life where he might be happy. Polly Mann and Oren Moverman wrote a strong, true to life, script. Marc Turtletaub, with a light touch, deftly guided this film to wring out wonderful performances from everyone.

Overall: This film was a true surprise in how much I enjoyed Agnes’ journey.

Goodbye Christopher Robin

First Hit: Touchingly deep story about how the 'Winnie the Pooh' books came into existence.

Alan Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), a writer of comedic plays and books, was deeply affected by his time in the British Army during WWI, the war to end all wars. Fighting in the trenches he saw the horrors of war—bloody corpses everywhere being feasted on by flies.

Returning from the war, he had difficulty adjusting to life in London. The sudden noises and flashes of light and color brought on severe debilitating impulsive actions that were harmful to himself, his wife Daphne (Margot Robbie), and friends.

Struggling with his experience of war he wrote a book called Peace with Honour in 1934 to protest war and why countries fight with each other. However, struggling to find traction in his life and to get away from the noises that he believes are causing his post war troubles, he and Daphne move to the country. Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield Sussex was a large rambling place with acres of land filled with woods.

Soon after moving Daphne has a child, Christopher Robin Milne (Will Tilson), who is a bright inquisitive child. Neither Alan nor Daphne knew much about parenting so they hire Olive (Kelly Mcdonald) as a nanny. She and Christopher create a strong meaningful bond.

However, when Olive has to leave to tend to her mother and with Daphne in London, Alan and Christopher start spending time in the woods together. This is where the magic and healing for Alan begins and the expressive mind of Christopher is opened and Milne is inspired to write the Winnie the Pooh books, which quickly became beloved by children all over the world.

The film does an amazing job of setting the above story and segueing the story into the power of imagination. The dance between the relationships of Olive and Christopher, Christopher and his parents, Alan and Daphne and most importantly Olive and the Milne’s was powerfully effective. The acting, especially of Tilson, was extraordinary. Additionally, the scenes of an older Christopher (Alex Lawther) and Alan was amazing, especially when they talk at the overlook.

The cinematography, especially the capturing of lighting, was amazing.

Gleeson was powerful as the traumatically affected writer looking for internal creative space to process his creative angst and joy. Robbie is excellent as the mother who didn’t adjust well to motherhood but loved her son and husband. Tilson was sublime as Christopher. He captured the magic of imagination in his eyes and spirit. Mcdonald was amazing as Christopher’s nanny. Her caring heart and deep love for her own life and the life of the Milne’s was wonderfully captured. Lawther was very strong as the older Christopher trying to find a way to lose the shackles of being one of the most famous and celebrated boys in history. Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon Vaughan wrote an excellent script. It captured the depth of the story all the way through. Simon Curtis knew what he was doing and made this story come alive in all ways. The direction of this story through these actors was amazing.

Overall:  Not being familiar with Winnie the Pooh stories, I was driven to want to read them.

Choke

First Hit: This is a very uneven film, and didn’t seem to know if it was a comedy or a drama.

One of the impressions this films left me with is: If during an airplane ride I go to the restroom, leave the door unlocked, get naked and sit there, the next person who enters will have sex with me.

Just don’t think this is true. Victor (played by Sam Rockwell) works at a historical theme park and has a sex addiction. He goes to his SA meetings and bangs the woman he is sponsoring during the meeting. His best friend is also a sexual addict but really wants to work the program and eventually succeeds in creating a relationship.

Sam goes to a nursing home to visit his mother Ida (played by Angelica Huston). Ida suffers from dementia and rarely recognizes her son. Victor meets her new doctor Paige (played by Kelly Macdonald) and wants to have sex with her.

However, as he spends time with her he thinks he likes her and when she proposes sex in the nursing home chapel, he can’t perform. Victor pays for the expensive treatment at the nursing home by choking himself in restaurants and finding the right person who will perform the Heimlich maneuver, feel sorry for him, and give him some money.

The director Clark Gregg never clearly decided what kind of film he wanted to make. There were some wonderful touching and insightful spots in this film that were wiped out by too many scenes that were way too long, didn’t add to the story, and were poorly executed. And it just wasn't that funny.

Overall: There was a smattering of a good and quirky film lying inside this story, but overall it played out very poorly.