Puzzle (2018 film)

Puzzle
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Marc Turtletaub
Produced by
Written by
Based on Rompecabezas
by Natalia Smirnoff
Starring
Music by Dustin O'Halloran
Cinematography Chris Norr
Edited by Catherine Haight
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date
  • January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23) (Sundance)
  • July 27, 2018 (2018-07-27) (United States)
Running time
 103 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $2 million[1]

Puzzle is a 2018 American drama film directed by Marc Turtletaub and written by Oren Moverman and Polly Mann, based on the 2010 Argentine film of the same name.[2] It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[3][4] Sony Pictures Classics then acquired the worldwide rights to the film, and released it on July 27, 2018.[5]

Premise

Agnes, taken for granted as a suburban wife and mother, discovers a passion for solving jigsaw puzzles which unexpectedly draws her into a new world – where her life unfolds in ways she could never have imagined.

Cast

  • Kelly Macdonald as Agnes, Louie’s wife and mother to Ziggy and Gabe
    • Josselyn Wolf as Young Agnes
  • Irrfan Khan as Robert, Agnes’ puzzle partner
  • David Denman as Louie, Agnes’ husband and Ziggy and Gabe’s father
  • Bubba Weiler as Ziggy, Agnes and Louie's older son and Gabe’s brother
  • Austin Abrams as Gabe, Agnes and Louie’s younger son and Ziggy’s brother and Nicki’s boyfriend
  • Liv Hewson as Nicki, Gabe's girlfriend

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Puzzle transcends its quirky premise with honest emotion -- and Kelly Macdonald, whose nicely understated performance proves she's too often underutilized."[6] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]

Peter Debruge from Variety described the remake of the well-liked Argentine film as a way for "Kelly Macdonald to shine amid the yawn-inducing world of competitive jigsaw puzzling."[8] Kate Erbland from IndieWire gave film a grade of "B+" and said that Macdonald "excels in the rare drama that follows a woman's own journey to self-actualization", and that the film "toes a tough line, managing to stay relentlessly good-hearted and deeply humane, even as Agnes herself plunges into deeper, more dramatic waters".[9]

Jordan Ruimy from The Playlist said that the film takes its time "to let its characters breathe, building up a beautiful atmosphere filled with richly lit, eye-melting shots" by Norr. However, he noted that the script eventually is complicated by "a struggle to tie things up, if they should be tied-up at all".[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Puzzle (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (May 8, 2017). "Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan to Star in 'Puzzle' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ Debruge, Peter (November 29, 2017). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Puzzle". Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (January 25, 2018). "Sundance: Kelly Macdonald Drama 'Puzzle' Goes to Sony Classics for $5M". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Puzzle (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Puzzle Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ Debruge, Peter (January 25, 2018). "Sundance Film Festival: 'Puzzle'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  9. ↑ Erbland, Kate (January 24, 2018). "'Puzzle' Review: Kelly Macdonald Puts the Pieces Together in Good-Hearted Midlife Crisis Drama — Sundance 2018". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  10. ↑ Ruimy, Jordan (January 25, 2018). "'Puzzle' Puts Together A Stunning Drama With A Remarkable Kelly Macdonald [Sundance Review]". The Playlist. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
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