What Maisie Knew (*****)

From the remarkable eyes of a child comes the best drama of the season, a movie filled with never ending beauty, sadness, and ultimate hope. Have you heard of it? Probably not, but this small independent film should make its way through the country in the coming weeks, and regardless of travel time, here is a film I would highly recommend you take the time to experience.

The story is entirely through the eyes of Maisie, the bright, beautiful, and charming star (in a breakout role by Onata Aprile, perhaps the most remarkable child performance I can think of in quite some time). Her parents bitterly fight over custody, and what ensues is a 'Kramer vs. Kramer' type legal battle.

But no, that's not the story at all. You see, each parent remarries, and although things seem good at first,  these marriages also succumb to the failure of Maisie's parents. And all through the eyes of a child, a girl who is content pressing flowers she received from her mother, or drawing castles and watching boats on the lake. She warms up to her parents' new spouses, Lincoln and Margo, and her parents become more and more engulfed in their work. What defines a family? Is there such thing as a 'good' or  'bad' parent? Perhaps the movie seeks answers, or perhaps we are meant to watch and observe.

Through heartbreaking scenes, the movie flows its way through plot points like a needle and thread. This is masterful filmmaking, and with such a particular attention paid to Maisie's childhood in particular. Her parents, played by Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan, strike the perfect tone as adults consumed with bitterness and money. Maisie comes second to their own success. And Maisie's step-parents, played by Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham. What striking characterizations, people we warm up to in real time with Maisie. By the film's end I was absolutely filled with joy and hope, or is it too much to hope as an adult, these days?

In the midst of action movies and major blockbusters, here is a quiet movie that moves mountains. Based on a book written in the late 1800's, it's impossible to imagine a story more relevant to today's culture and perception of 'the family.' By far the best movie of 2013 so far.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Aprile), Best Supporting Actress (Moore, Vanderham), Best Supporting Actor (Skarsgard), Best Adapted Screenplay)