There’s something affably enjoyable about Maggie Moore(s). The film, directed by John Slattery, revolves around the murder investigation of two Maggie Moores. Police chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) is investigating the murder of the first Maggie Moore when the second one turns up dead. The movie is based loosely on a fascinating real life story, where two women named Mary Morris were murdered three days apart.
Given that both women have the exact same name, no other obvious connection to each other, and were murdered days apart, it could be a case of mistaken identity. One Maggie Moore is accidentally killed, and the other is the true target. So was the first Maggie Moore killed for the second, or the second killed for the first? Jordan just needs to work the case and find out which Maggie Moore is the intended target. It feels very Fargo-esque, where the desperate, criminal acts of a man set of a string of blood-soaked events. However, Slattery doesn’t quite manage that delicate balance of tone. Maggie Moore(s) seems intent on being a black comedy on the lighter side of things, so the darker and more violent plot points can come across as shocking and tonally inconsistent to what’s been set up so far.
While investigating the death of the first Maggie Moore, Jordan talks to her neighbour Rita (Tina Fey), who tells him about the tumultuous relationship Maggie had with her husband Jay (Micah Stock). Stock does a great job, committing to the comedic beats with aplomb, yet always conveying the detestable qualities of the character he’s playing. We’re never in danger of sympathizing with him, but we will laugh at him. Along for the ride is deaf hitman Kosco (Happy Anderson), who manages to exude hostility and threat of violence despite the lack of dialogue.
Jordan’s a widower, and has been out on a couple of dates since his wife’s death, but hasn’t felt a spark with anyone until Rita. Hamm and Fey have effortless chemistry together, and it’s fun to watch them hang out and just talk. The film establishes what an adult relationship would look like, as well as the awkwardness faced when getting back into the dating saddle. In the hands of lesser actors I don’t think these moments would have been as appealing — the film is as enjoyable as it is mainly because of them.
Nick Mohammed plays Reddy, the wise-cracking deputy to Jordan’s police chief – who has the worst comedic timing – who feels like things are more straightforward than Jordan thinks them to be. It’s kind of like a reverse whodunit, because we know who did it and why, we’re just waiting for the police to play catch up.
What’s commendable is that all the minor characters, despite sitting on the periphery of the main action, are connected to the bigger picture. It’s fairly thrilling to see how all the puzzle pieces link up, and which narrative threads will lead the police to the main culprit. The end result is far from predictable, chalking up a successful directorial debut for Slattery.
Review screener provided.
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