“[Jigsaw] puzzling is the pursuit of perfection,” explains good guy/bad guy/jigsaw whisperer Robert (Irrfan Khan). To paraphrase – when you are finished with a jigsaw puzzle, you know that you did everything right no matter what mistakes you made in the process. What other facet of life can offer that guarantee? Certainly not love or writing or sports or most anything one might pursue with perfection in mind. There is a cathartic release when you finish a Puzzle knowing indeed that you have achieved perfection; there is great satisfaction in that knowledge.
Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) is the kind of person who plans her own birthday, makes her own cake, and invites her husband’s friends to the party, hoping that he will enjoy himself. We know her life blows, cuz she’s married to the big oaf from “The Office” (David Denman). His is the life every MAGA soldier dreams of – nuclear family, unquestioned man in charge, all else immaterial and insignificant – all that matters is his happiness because he makes the money. It’s probably never come up that Agnes could be employed as well. Oh, Louie (Denman) is nicer than you’re imagining; in fact, he’s a bit of a sweetheart, and you know what? So are many MAGAs. But if you live life never questioning why you’re in charge or bothering to ask if your wife or children are happy, you’re kind of an asshole, and that’s true no matter how well you present.
For her birthday, Agnes is given a jigsaw Puzzle. Keep in mind, Agnes’ entire day revolves around family satisfaction: shopping, cleaning, cooking, preparing; everything in Life of Agnes is a ritual aimed towards propping up her husband and sons. It’s not that she doesn’t have her own desires; she doesn’t even know that she should. The 1,000 piece gauntlet proves child’s play for Agnes, a natural to the hobby. After constructing and deconstructing it several times over, she wants another, and, despite living in Bridgeport, CT –which at last look was a city of some kind- she has no idea where to obtain another. Can you imagine that? So sheltered you’ve never seen a jigsaw puzzle in a store? Do we believe that? I think we do. Agnes behaves as if she lives underneath a rock; that can’t be far from the truth.
New York City can be both paradise and Hell for a noob. For Agnes, it is the Big Apple of temptation – look, a store full of puzzles! Look, a notice: Hey, I’m a guy in need of a puzzle partner (whatever that is), apply within! For the first time is Agnes’ adult life, she’s found something she enjoys – not that her family isn’t a picnic, just … they aren’t. Fair to say when you’re timing your husband’s alarm clock and script his responses, you’ve hit a rut. On the one hand, there’s the life she knows, which sucks (she now realizes), and on the other hand, there’s anything else – which includes her new funnest thing ever. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration; I love jigsaw puzzles, but I’m not sure I’d ever call them “fun,” per se.
I’m not sure how a Puzzle competition works, btw, but if it’s anything like real life, the contestants quickly do the border, then get bored and take a month-long hiatus while placing irrelevant objects next to the Puzzle at odd intervals.
Sadly, I don’t think Puzzle is going to reclaim the term “Jigsaw” from something menacing involving evil dolls riding tricycles and elaborate torture machines. Despite, however, the lack of puppets and maiming, Puzzle is enjoyable, if perhaps a bit flat and two-dimensional. Of course, there’s the slippery slope of puzzling – one day, you’re assembling a jigsaw puzzle, the next you’re playing Dungeons & Dragons, before you know it, you’re burying a dead hooker in the back yard. Don’t be that guy.
A pastime from Bali to Greece
It’s a quiet domestic release
Puzzling, it’s said
Straightens the head
And gives one a lasting piece
Rated R, 103 Minutes
Director: Marc Turtletaub
Writer: Polly Mann and Oren Moverman
Genre: Oh yeah, Have you seen MY hobby?
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Perfectionists
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Uncle MAGA
