Expected more

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

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.

See Rompecabezas, a charming Argentine version of this story. great acting! It will be interesting to see this one, looking forward to it, Kelly MacDonald is such a good actress.

Director Marc Turtletaub knows that a good story (written here by Oren Overman "The Dinner" and original story by Natalie Smirnoff), featuring poignant and honest acting (by Kelly Macdonald "Agnes" and Irrfan Khan "Robert"), guided by a terrific sound track (Dustin O'Halloran) can cement a movie in one's memory. He's proved this with "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Loving," and does again here with "Puzzle". Agnes, a reserved housewife whom her family knows but doesn't recognize, passes her day doing puzzles. When she reluctantly answers a "Partner Wanted" ad posted by Robert, she begins a growth of unexpected self awareness. While this film will take you into the little know fast paced world of Puzzle competition, the film moves deliberately slowly giving the characters and the audience the opportunity to become invested in the storyline and the pending consequences. Macdonald ("Boardwalk Empire") is a pro at championing the beaten down character, and Khan continues to prove you don't have to go big to be powerful. When those two aren't eating up the screen, Agnes' husband (David Denman "Parenthood" TV), and their two sons (Austin Abrams "The American's" TV and Bubba Weiler "The Ranger") show that family, as well as the individual, equally hold the blame when things go askew. "Puzzle" may be the first of the films to come that garner early Awards recognition, so don't miss this one.