Review of Maggie's Plan (2016) by Antonius B — 22 Jan 2017

I liked this offbeat romantic comedy, which has smart dialog, a strong cast, and an indie feel. Ethan Hawke is an outstanding actor, and his performance in this movie is no exception. I loved the scene where he explodes after having found out about something his wife has done (I'm being deliberately vague here).

Greta Gerwig plays her part with just the right touches of awkwardness, honesty, naiveté, and intelligence, and despite her scheming, her character is quite lovable. The scene where she's with her baby blowing bubbles in the bathtub is quite sweet, among many others.

There are bits of wry comedy from Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph, and I found Julianna Moore's character and her accent amusing from beginning to end, but it's all pretty subtle. You may see the ending coming, but the parts in the middle may keep you off balance, and the pace of the movie is good.