An Impossible Puzzle
2021 · 3m · France
Directed by Vincent Leplat
Genres: comedy
A somewhat obsessive man finally completes his lockdown project — a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle — only to discover that the very last piece is missing.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
A missing puzzle piece as the entire thesis of a film—most people would sand down the premise into sentiment, but Leplat leans into the absurdity until it's genuinely unsettling, which is exactly the kind of subversive restraint that makes contrarians look smart.
The film's formal economy—holding a single metaphor across 2:48 without collapse—places it in a lineage of minimalist comedy that trusts form over explanation; the editing rhythm around that final absence becomes the real architecture.
The decision to keep the camera fixed while the obsession spirals, rather than cutting frantically or going handheld, is what makes the despair read as character rather than director's joke—one compositional choice holding the entire emotional structure in place.
Reviews
The concept had potential but the execution felt unconvincing — the scenes lacked impact and the humor came across as weak.
Festivals
- Nikon Film Festival 2021