Martin Fowler has an excellent write up on the history of MVC and related patterns (and resulting confusion) in http://martinfowler.com/eaaDev/uiArchs.html.
I've written a direct manipulation vector structured graphics program. Think FreeHand / Illustrator with a scenegraph. I tried every which way to make something MVC esque. No can do.
I believe, but cannot prove, that the MVC failing(s), eg tight coupling, unclear flow of control, comes from the Observer/Listener like message passing between the players.
Further, I believe some future UI paradigm will be a hybrid, mutant love child, inspired by, of functional reactive programming and an VRML-97 like event model (FROM->TO style patchcord event routing). It's on my to do list, but I'm easily distracted and followed thru.