Edinburgh’s International Film Festival opened with Marc Turtletaub’s ‘Puzzle’.
A touching story about a stay at home mother who finds a hidden talent in puzzles. Throughout the film, Kelly Macdonald’s character ‘Agnes’ finds her own independence away from her closed off family life.
The character of Agnes is first introduced hosting a party, which the audience assumes is for her husband as she cleans up after everyone and brings her own cake in. Her life at first is contained within the house, looking after her husband and two sons. The first part of the film seems as if it is set in the 50’s or 60’s as the style of the house is very simplistic and old fashioned which could represent how Agnes has not fully lived her life as she is stuck in the past in the house she grew up in. There is a theme of repetition and order in Agnes’ life, foreshadowing her hidden talent for jigsaw puzzles.
Soon after taking an interest in puzzles, she ventures to New York and finds a ‘puzzle partner’ to take part in a puzzle competition. This brings a vast change in Agnes’ life as she begins to find what she enjoys but struggles to tell her family what she is doing. The film explores family relationships and new beginnings in an intriguing way.
Kelly MacDonald has an outstanding performance however some of the other characters lacked character development as the film was focused on the development of Agnes’ character. The plot was well developed and told a story of finding independence within yourself.