Maggie’s Plan review: “Excellently crafted and very funny.”

Maggie’s Plan review: A great surprise. A laugh-out-loud affair with a stunning lead from Gerwig and unique turn from Moore.

Maggie’s Plan makes its European debut more than six months after delighting audiences across the pond at Toronto. The film is written for the screen and directed by the talented Rebecca Miller, the helmer of The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee and The Ballad Of Jack and Rose.

Miller’s first film since 2009, and perhaps her most high-profile, with a glittering cast in Julianne Moore, Greta Gerwig, Bill Hader and many other familiar faces, Maggie’s Plan revolves around Gerwig’s title character of Maggie. Maggie desperately wants a baby, and it seems she’ll do anything to get her wish. She even has an exact date of when she’d like to conceive with the prospective father; sperm donor, and pickle entrepreneur Guy (Travis Fimmel – Vikings, upcoming Warcraft). However, things take a slightly different turn when fate gets in the way and fellow lecturer, and wannabe fiction writer John (Ethan Hawke), comes into Maggie’s life. A relationship soon forms, despite the fact that John is still married, with two children, to Georgette (Julianne Moore). Maggie and John’s relationship develops and one child and three years later, it seems that she’s fallen out of love with the intense writer. No worries though, as Maggie has a plan…

Maggie’s Plan came as quite a surprise when we saw it at Berlinale. We couldn’t make the main press showing for the film as it overlapped with another high-profile screening, so we had to catch the film at its opening Panorama Gala across town at the enormous Friedrichstadt-Palast a mile or so west of the main Postdamer-Platz. Something tells me that we experienced something quite different to what we would have at the earlier press showing. This capacity audience of festival-goes lapped up Maggie’s Plan, so much so that we’ve not ever experienced anything quite like it. The crowd lapped it up; laughing at every witty beat and giving the film a long, standing ovation as the credits rolled and Miller and Gerwig stepped back on stage to receive their reception.

Maggie’s Plan isn’t spectacular. It is however, extremely well-written, supremely directed, and wonderfully acted. Gerwig in the central role deserves all of the acclaim that she is receiving, and Julianne Moore, in much more a supporting role, is electric as the slight off-beat, strangely-humoured Georgette, a very different role from anything she’s ever done. She’s laugh-out loud funny in pretty much every scene, but also heartfelt and real; another clever, well-toned, perfectly honed turn from Moore.

There’s further support from the always funny Hader, and the potential sperm done father Fimmel, who also plays his role well. Hawke further proves he’s back at the top of his game with him playing another father in John, the easily-led alpha male caught between these two strong female characters.

Maggie’s Plan won’t set the world on fire, but it is an excellently crafted, very funny dramedy from an exciting, emerging talent in Miller who we hope we won’t have to wait another seven years to see her next work. This one is definitely worth seeking out.

Maggie’s Plan review by Paul Heath, February 2016.

Maggie’s Plan opens in UK cinemas on the 8th July 2016.