What Maisie Knew (2012) Directed by Scott McGehee & David Siegel

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe it's simply true that I wasn't all that taken by this movie due to the simple fact that I couldn't identify myself with any of the characters that were in it.

My parents never went through a divorce and I myself am not a parent yet. In other words; I couldn't identify myself with either the young kid or her parents in this movie. I believe that matters tremendously and is the main reason why the movie wasn't really working for me. It felt rather pointless and I kept waiting for things to develop and turn into something truly interesting and engaging. It just didn't ever really happen for me. And I'm sure it's just me, seeing how basically everybody else absolutely loves this movie and feel touched by it.

Main problem I had with this movie was the perspective it was told from. The entire movie is told from the viewpoint of a 7-year old girl, which sounds both engaging and original but to be frank; I most of the time was far more interested in the adult's perspective. After all, this is a movie about adult themes, in which two adults go through a breakup and custody battle for their daughter Maisie. I know it's all very deliberate and the approach of the movie is supposed to shine some new light on its themes and issues. It however annoyed me how little the kid herself got involved with the whole process. Her parents literally never told her anything and just let he go through things with preparing- or trying to explain anything to her beforehand. You can say what you want but that just didn't feel real of convincing enough for me. Maybe it all would have made a bit more sense to me if it told me why the parents were the way they were and why they made certain decisions and did certain things, that just weren't ever making all that much sense to me. But again, that's not the movie its point or anything that it's ever even is concerned about.

The drama therefor wasn't ever really working for me, though at the same time I still respect the movie for not turning it into a far too heavy and melodramatic one. The movie as it is is a perfectly watchable one, that luckily isn't too depressing, even if you're in fact touched by the story, themes and characters.

It's never an unpleasant movie to watch in any way and it does have a good pace and overall style to it. Also not much wrong with the acting, even if I really couldn't ever get into any of the characters.

I guess I better stick to "Kramer vs. Kramer" instead. This movie just wasn't doing it for me but again; it's obviously just me.

6/10

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