Review of What Maisie Knew (2013) by Dannyboy S — 26 Aug 2013

I started to get a real bad feeling about this movie early on. I knew vaguely that it was about divorce, a domestic dispute and a custody battle, but the result was not what I was expecting. I'm probably correct in saying there is a total lack of drama. But this is due to the narrative being seen from Maisie's perspective, meaning you don't see much, you're not meant to see much, and the full ramifications of the custody battle are only alluded to. The court scenes are completely unseen. The parents fight at home, shouting, and Maisie is pulled in different directions, going to live with one parent at a time as custody changes/reverses. But since it's filtered through a little girl's POV, events are hazy and elusive. Maybe that's original, but I had trouble with the lack of plot. Call me old-fashioned, but I hate mostly storyless and undramatic dramas. They drive me crazy. One such movie, the foreign Oscar-winner 'Amour' panned out like that - where nothing really happened.

So the movie was just this little girl switching parents all the time, without much depth or impact. I soon realised I was wrong - the movie is not a total waste of time. It has a slight charm making it enjoyable, even without the usually visible plot I prefer. There's also sadness in Maisie, especially because her parents are not very likeable. I must say, the actress who plays Maisie starts to affect you. She's good, even when she only has to look confused. Nothing feels unnatural with her. I guess the charm also comes from the two babysitters involved in the shit-slinging dispute. Clueless Lincoln and distressed Margo make an impression on Maisie, and it helps that these two adults understand the little girl and also seem attracted to each other, bringing about a possible happy outcome. Yes, how the movie ends is sorta feel-good, so my original boredom and displeasure transformed into admiration. The movie is definitely different due to the infant POV, and it will probably cause some viewers to struggle through its storylessness. I was won over when I realised stuff was actually happening below the surface.