Been a good couple of weeks for American independent cinema in my view. I should point out at this stage that the three following films I am about to talk about all share a common thread, I watched them for the cast. The results were varied but more on that later.

The first on the hit list is What Maisie Knew:

“Crudely as they had calculated they were at first justified by the event: she was the little feathered shuttlecock they could fiercely keep flying between them.”

An accurate summation of What Maisie Knew, this was the first I saw of similar films and quite honestly my favorite of the last few weeks. Given a modern spin on the literary Henry James classic of the same name, the story centres around the parental neglect of a young girl due to her parents bitter divorce. What makes this film a real marvel is that the perspective is from that of Maisie herself. The combination of lowered camera angles (there are a lot of adult torso on display, particularly Alexander Skarsgard who looked like a friendly but incredibly hot giant so I was far from complaining. There should be more shots in that area in all his films in my opinion) and an unaffected sweet performance from Onata Aprile who plays Maisie, the audience is treated to an honest and heartbreaking experience of the effects of divorce on a child.

Although having not read the novel yet (it is in my possession, so impressed I was by the film I bought it right away), I was surprised at the easy transition the story makes from being about aristocratic divorce in Victorian times to modern-day New York. I fully appreciated the symbolism of Maisie’s parents (a marvelous Julianne Moore and great Steve Coogan) unyielding interest in their phones at the expense of their child who sits next to them always patiently waiting for attention. And when she does get any attention from either parents it’s usually smothering with strong undertones of insincerity, borne out of motivations of extreme jealousy, selfishness and neuroses. As the above quote states Maisie is nothing to her parents if not “the little feathered shuttlecock they could fiercely keep flying between them”. The audience cries for the child to be rescued and rescue comes in the form of her parents new other halves Margo and Lincoln played by Joanna Vanderham and Alexander Skarsgard, who demonstrate and offer the genuine affection and responsible parental care that neither Maisie’s biological parent seems capable of.

I’m aware this makes the film sound like a single-minded diatribe against the selfishness of divorced adults and the lack of consideration of the children involved but it really isn’t. I might not be fond of Julianne Moore’s fading rock star Susanna nor have time for the insincerity of her Art dealer ex husband Beale (Coogan) and that in general they provide the perfect example of why people should not have children, however, I have to admit that there were times when I could sympathise with their characters. Ever so slightly.

I’m sure that much of this lies in the assurance of the performances that gave layered and honest portrayals  of not so likeable people. But they are still people nonetheless.  These characters could have easily been written as one-dimensional monsters out to declare war against each other at the expense of their daughter. But the writing doesn’t allow for that. Instead the film looks at the complexities of marriage, of separation and the inability to ever completely cut ties with someone because you have a permanent bond with that person in the form of the child you created. It also looks at the basic human behaviour, the lashing out at the person you perceived to have hurt even if it is at the expense of your child. Looking at parents as human. Irresponsible adult-children most definitely. But still very human.

The film never gives the sense that Susanna and Beale are ever knowingly cruel to Maisie. In fact, beneath the neglect and using of Maisie, there is always the underlying sense that both parents truly love Maisie but are too selfish too egomaniacal, just too childish to make the necessary sacrifices needed to make good parents. As I said before, some people aren’t supposed to have children.

Just to touch upon the performances. pretty much all of them were flawless but I have to say my most favourite has to be Maisie herself Onata Aprile. She is in practically every shot in the film, has little dialogue but is able to express so much just in her face, which the camera takes full advantage of with many a close up on that innocent sweet mug.  And what moved me the most about her performance was that it was so natural. She played a kid trying to navigate and exist in an adult world where she can still be a child. When I saw the posters for the film, I did have a moment of trepidation. You see I have a thing about films that have very precocious children thrown into adult surroundings. My thing is that I really hate that device. Isn’t it just so cutesy pie to have a kid talk at a person like an obnoxious douchebag. No it isn’t. We have a plethora of adults who do that. They’re called assholes. Don’t make the kids assholes.  That’s just child abuse.

Thankfully the film doesn’t do that and for its efforts is rewarded with a wonderful performance that carries the heart of a very good film.

Where can you see it?

Still showing in cinemas across London and is due for DVD release on the 6th January 2014. I would definitely recommend that you check this one out!

Next up

Joint review of The Way Way Back and In A World…