multiple maggie moores
Just How Disappointing Is Tina Fey And Jon Hamm's New Movie 'Maggie Moore(s)'? Here's What The Reviews Say
John Slattery is best known for playing Roger Sterling on (the best show ever made) "Mad Men." Nowadays he's a director, and after a long hiatus behind the camera he's back with a new dark comedy/mystery film called "Maggie Moore(s)."
But, as it turns out, no matter how many stars you shove into a movie, it can still turn out to be somewhat bad, and that's the kind of film that what we have on our hands here. "Maggie Moore(s)" stars Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Nick Mohammed, Micah Stock, Mary Holland, Happy Anderson, Christopher Denham, Tate Ellington and Emily Blunt. It releases in theaters June 16, 2023. Here's what critics have to say.
The premise
"Maggie Moore(s)" is a movie that claims to be inspired by true events, although the writer has not revealed any details of said events. Still, the premise sounds promising. Two women with the same name end up murdered a week apart which sends the small town police officers into a frenzy as they try to piece everything together.
Jordan Sanders, the police chief at the center of John Slattery's new movie, is not your typical big-screen cop. He's played by Slattery's Mad Men compatriot Jon Hamm with a bit of a scruff, a bit of a paunch, and a touch of melancholy. But it's his earnestness that truly sets him apart. In a motel parking lot where a murdered woman has been found — the second on his watch within a week — Jordan considers the possible ways she wound up there and regards the bullet wound in the back of her head. "My God," he says, looking overcome by the horror of it all. "That's awful."
It's an okay whodunnit
The film's detective plot, a so-called "howdunnit" in the "Columbo" style (that is, we see the murder, then watch someone try to solve it), is engaging enough. Jordan puzzles through a number of red herrings, including the second Maggie's philandering husband (Christopher Denham) and her neo-Nazi former co-worker (Tate Ellington), in the process of figuring out which victim was the real target and why. The dramatic irony inherent in this kind of plot construction is almost always compelling, even if the specific material in this case is roughly on the level of a lesser episode of "Monk," and well below that of most of the Coen brothers' movies.
"Maggie Moore(s)" is entertaining in the way it visits a collection of characters trying to make some magic happen via crime or fame, with a stripper, high school sub shop employee, and obsessive men populating the story. There's brutality in the mix, with the wrath of Kosco returned to on occasion, and viewers are treated to the ways of corporate concern when Jay disregards his franchise agreement. It all leads to a more physical conclusion, which plays on the tired side, with "Maggie Moore(s)" a more inviting sit when it deals with psychological issues and tangled relationships. Slattery gives his cast room to work, limiting style, and this trust pays off with accomplished performances, allowing the feature to reach some charged interactions, giving the picture something more than just the same crime film routine.
The two stars are lovable, but can't make it work
The strongest argument of the film is, oddly, against the institution of marriage itself, as the second Maggie's husband actually wanted her dead anyway, all the better to run off with her $700K life insurance policy and his bartender mistress. (Hamm is a widower, Fey is a divorcee, and both seem to have the happiest relationship in the film.)
The relationship between Jordan and Rita is almost captivating. Hamm and Fey have been friends for years and worked together before, so the potential is there. There are even glimpses of a satisfying love story at the center of this film in the playful banter and adorable way in which Jordan tries to woo Rita. Sadly, it all ends up feeling stiff and hollow, as the movie fails to give us a real reason to care about them. It tells us we should be sad that Jordan's wife died and that Rita's ex-husband made her feel bad about herself, but we never actually feel it. Their courtship — and the petty, sloppy drama that creates conflict between them — is too generic and formulaic. Hamm and Fey have proven themselves to be excellent comedic and dramatic actors, but they simply go through the motions here, managing to create only small flickers of chemistry and compelling connection. All in all, the performances feel a bit phoned-in. These are roles they could each do in their sleep, and it feels like that's exactly what they did for the most part: sleepwalked through the film's 99-minute runtime.
TL;DR
You'd think that the two stars would find at least some spark and humor... instead, the film is a cinematic flatline.
Jon Hamm and Tina Fey shine in this offbeat true crime comedy.
If each line of dialogue wasn't one flop after the next, the somewhat enticing premise and undeniable talent of the cast would've made "Maggie Moore(s)" a memorable film.
Watch the trailer:
