What Maisie Knew, 2012.
Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel.
Starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Alexander Skarsgård, Joanna Vanderham, and Onata Aprile.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the Henry James novel, What Maisie Knew is a searing picture of divorce and emotional neglect told from 6 year old Maisie’s perspective.
Translating Henry James’ classic novel from 1897 to present day is done seamlessly by McGehee and Siegel who draw our attention to the resonations that this source novel has in today’s society. What Maisie Knew is a phenomenal film to watch and a portrait of dysfunctional family life in the 21st century. The film is heart breaking at times and one of the most powerful dramas I’ve seen all year. The film follows Maisie as she observes the breakdown of her father Beale (Coogan) and mother Susanna’s (Moore) divorce and custody battle. Beale in turn marries nanny Margo (Vanderham) and Susanna marries bartender Lincoln (Skarsgård).
What Maisie Knew works so well because of the casting of Maisie. Portrayed by newcomer Onata Aprile, Maisie is a fully fleshed out character that’s sweet, endearing, pitiful yet strong. Her performance is layered and it’s amazing to see such a young actress get into the material so deeply. Telling the story from Maisie’s perspective is fascinating to watch. We hear fractions of the arguments and we see Maisie’s clear confusion as she’s shuttled back and forth between her neglectful parents. She appears strong throughout the film but her situation is gut wrenching and a particular moment of abandonment will have many on the verge of tears. Onata Aprile is definitely a talent to watch, her performance at such a young age is a revelation and there will be great things to come from her in the future.
Aprile is joined by a stellar supporting cast including Julianne Moore as her mother, Steve Coogan as her father, and Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham as her surrogate family. Julianne Moore digs deep and creates a flawed yet emotionally engaging character that’s unsettling to watch. Susanna isn’t a bad mother per say, but she is so tied up in her emotional conflicts and career that she leaves her daughter on the back burner. Steve Coogan’s character Beale is similar in the sense that he doesn’t mean to emotionally neglect his daughter, yet he does and the pain of this is demonstrated clearly throughout the film. After watching Coogan’s hilarious antics in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa it’s good to see him stretch his fine acting chops a bit more and delve into this complex character.
The surrogate family made up on Vanderham and Skarsgård are a delight to watch and a beautiful juxtaposition against the horrors of Maisie’s biological parents. McGehee and Siegel are careful not to make Lincoln and Margo come across as “angel” like figures who can do no wrong. They are simply humans who can’t understand why Maisie’s parents don’t want to spend more time with her. As the film is told from Maisie’s perspective we only get glimpses of Margo and Lincoln’s romantic relationship, but the two actors’ chemistry sizzles throughout the film. Skarsgård is definitely branching out from playing a vampire on HBO’s True Blood and his performance here is multi-layered and fascinating to watch.
Framing the entire film from Maisie’s perspective makes the film much more than your average “broken home” story. The various emotions on screen feel real and the central performance hammers this home. By showing everything from Maisie’s perspective, older audiences see the effects that arguments and whispered conversations have on such a young child. During the opening of the film we hear numerous muffled arguments from Moore and Coogan. Audiences catch glimpses of the conversation just like Maisie does and the confusion and fear resonates. McGehee and Siegel have been brave in tackling such a sore subject and putting a young child at the forefront of it.
What Maisie Knew is an enthralling watch and demonstrates the impact of divorce within modern society. A strong leading performance and a stellar supporting cast make it a must see. Some may think that it’s over sentimental, but it’s one of the most honest portraits of divorce that’s been brought to the screen for many years.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Helen Murdoch
Originally published August 18, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
