Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Jon Hamm, Christopher Denham, Tina Fey, Nick Mohammed, Mary Holland, Allison Dunbar, Happy Anderson, Louise Krause, Oona Roche, Tate Ellington, Richard Lippert, Micah Stock, Gabriela Alicia Ortega, Peter Diseth, Joseph Ortega, Nicholas Azarian, Bobbi Kitten, Crystal Mayes, Jodi Lynn Thomas, Derek Basco, Sewell Whitney, Roni Geva, Christopher Kriesa, Bryant Carroll, Kristin K. Berg, Sale Taylor, Jeff Allen, Claire Hinkley.
A simple tale told well can leave you more satisfied than anything which alludes itself as being epic; however, it does take all the circumstances aligning at the same time to create a film in which the cinematic voyeur feels as though they have lived in the shoes of the protagonist and not just been placed within them having already been scuffed and in need of repair.
Written by Paul Bernbaum and directed by John Slattery, Maggie Moore(s) is a prime example of a film living up beyond its expectations and delivering a film of poise, everyday truth, and the understanding that bad things happen because we are pressured by a system that declares its intent to subdue our potential from the very moment that we see the opportunity to rise and be more than just a piece of human flesh slowly gathering mould.
It is in the starkness of the outer shell that the inner exposure of the film is a dialogue machine of experience, and as each moment passes, as the comedy and mystery unravel, so the watcher is left with a feel-good attitude of the surprising pleasure that comes from seeing the ever-resolute Jon Hamm, the disposition of Nick Mohammed and the consistency of Tina Fey give gloriously to the framing of the story.
Not everything that cinema produces has to be full of glamour or minute to minute explosive action, all that is truly required is a story that is absolutely believable and has a cast willing to buy into it. Maggie Moore(s) is that type of film, it is shot with conviction, the characters are honestly presented, and the deftness of John Slattery’s eye as he gives the reason for the investigation to cast a wide eye on the issue of coincidence, and because of those relentless passions it is a find to which you will not regret as a film lover.
The legitimacy and intimacy of film is one captured fully and with pride in Maggie Moore(s); it is story telling substance over the flattery that others strive to show.
Ian D. Hall