What did Maisie know? The secret to life? How to forever remain an exceptionally cute little girl with a rather chic haircut?

By the end of this polished, emotional, and extremely earnest movie, the answer could still be any of those. Maisie (the poised Onata Aprile) is an extremely cute doll of a girl who is shuffled between various apartments and actors shouting at each other with impressive commitment. As she watches the adults around her split up and get back together, you’re left wondering if there actually is something behind Maisie’s inscrutability, or if that’s all there is.

The entire film is exceptionally, stiflingly tasteful. The actors go through the motions with professionalism and talent, dutifully responding to the permutations of the plot, but nobody really seems to learn anything. It’s all just a skosh too inevitable, too carefully considered, like a healthy meal that just makes you want to eat cake.

As Maisie’s mom, Julianne Moore is as lovely and talented as always. Steve Coogan, as the father, makes a believable foil, carefully treading the line between pointed and abrasive. Joanna Vanderham is a vision in the role of nanny-turned-mistress, and as her male counterpart, Alexander Skarsgard exhibits both charm and world-class shambling abilities.

Based very loosely on a novel by Henry James, What Maisie Knew could have used some of his perspicacity for individual character rather than archetype. He was a master of blending the archetypal and the individual, finding truths so specific they became paradigmatic. The characters in the film tend towards the generic, more stand-ins for types than anything new and unfamiliar. And the irresponsible behavior exhibited around Maisie is for the most part not terribly shocking, whether it’s because of the methodical storytelling or the preponderance of acrimonious divorces that have already been depicted onscreen.

The last act’s turn into happiness is refreshing after the earlier parade of unpleasant behavior. It’s a breath of fresh air, but it also throws into relief the feeling that the happy ending is not quite earned. The final minutes seem to indicate that utopia has been achieved, but it’s hard not to be aware that Maisie and her guardians are now living on borrowed land, money, and time. What will happen after everything cuts to black? What will they be doing in the days and months to come? And above all else, just what was it that Maisie knew?