Search The Archive

Search the film archive

"A heartbreakingly perceptive … closely observed and deeply emotional drama." – Screen Daily

Loosely based on the 1897 novel by Henry James, this very New York update follows the upheaval in the lives of a couple and their young daughter, Maisie, in the aftermath of divorce. Shuttled between two warring parents, and their new partners, Maisie is forced to adapt to an ever-changing routine.

Starring Julianne Moore as Maisie's self-centred rock-star mother and Steve Coogan as her narcissistic art-dealer father, this beautifully observed custody drama is seen entirely from the perspective of its six-year-old title character. In that role, newcomer Onata Aprile gives an understated but riveting performance, while an upmarket Manhattan of beautifully decorated apartments provides an ironic backdrop to the often-brutal behaviour on display.

"A grown-up film about childhood and a scathing look at two childish grown-ups, What Maisie Knew is, above all, wickedly amusing and cuttingly insightful." – Toronto International Film Festival

D Scott McGehee, David Siegel P Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Daniel Crown, William Teitler, Charles Weinstock S Nancy Doyne, Carroll Cartwright Dist Madman Entertainment TD DCP/2012

Find the book at Readings.