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The Words2012 | 96 min | PG-13 | 1.85:1
“The Words” is riveting, illuminating, and communicative…for about 45 minutes. It’s enough time to convince an initially hesitant ticket buyer that something interesting is afoot, with writer/directors Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal gracefully exploring the mechanics of a literary career (or lack thereof), while building toward a crucial act of plagiarism that feels like it could be dissected for two movies. And then the brakes are applied in an abrupt fashion, removing the professional urgency that drives the material, turning a pleasingly straightforward story of personal corruption into a tepid cinematic confessional. “The Words” commences so convincingly, there’s hope for a climatic return to form. Alas, the picture limps to a close, more interested in playing games than burrowing as deep as possible into a spellbinding situation of fraud. 
Struggling to get his voice out into the crowded field of published writers, Rory (Bradley Cooper) has had his fill of failure. With his books turned down by every talent agency around, Rory is desperate, unable to process the depths of his disappointment. On a Parisian honeymoon with wife Dora (Zoe Saldana), Rory discovers a manuscript tucked into a weathered briefcase purchased from a local shop. Reading the yellowed work, Rory is transformed by the pages, impulsively deciding to rewrite the book word-for-word, eventually submitting the creation as his own. When the novel grows into a smash success, Rory enjoys the perks of fame and fortune. However, The Old Man (Jeremy Irons) is eager to disrupt the celebration of the author’s genius, explaining to Rory that he’s the actual writer, sharing his experiences that informed the post-WWII tale. Also in the mix is author Clay (Dennis Quaid), who’s written an expose of Rory’s experience, bewitching a particularly forward fan (Olivia Wilde) at a book reading. True to its literary setting, I’m sure “The Words” read like gangbusters in script form. Although confusion is introduced early via scenes with Clay at his presentation, the story quickly moves over to the saga of Rory and his insatiable itch to be accepted as a world-class author. It’s a drive of creative ambition that’s universal, meeting a young man looking to make a big impression with his gifts, only to question his career path when it appears no one is interested. Still, Rory stays on target, mooching money off his father (J.K. Simmons), while Dora remains supportive with her own thriving career, a domestic support situation that comes to slap Rory across the face. “The Words” is engrossing when constructing the lead character’s self-doubt and escalating desperation, which eventually leads to a mailroom job inside a talent agency -- his dedication being so strong, Rory simply wants to be around the process of success. 
Klugman and Sternthal successfully communicate Rory’s anxiety and his temporary salvation in the form of The Old Man’s lost book, which contains writing so eloquent, Rory retypes the work just to experience its genius firsthand. The plagiarism incident develops naturally, born out of a recognition of failure, creating an interesting situation of deceit clouded by equal parts opportunity and fantasy, with the book gifting Rory the life he’s always wanted. “The Words” supplies a strong opening half of emotional consideration, articulated well in Cooper’s unexpectedly restrained performance; the actor finds ideal shades of guilt and delusion that lead Rory to his loathsome yet oddly understandable act of corruption. Locked into this train of thought, this inspection of self, and “The Words” finds simplistic but fertile dramatic ground, leaving the viewer to consider the theft from a few different perspectives. Once The Old Man enters the feature, “The Words” unravels in a hurry, switching over to flashback mode as the crinkly senior recalls the numerous tragedies he faced after the war, funneling these harsh Parisian experiences into his novel. Despite a charmingly soured performance from Irons, the dramatic lane change is sudden, abandoning Rory to detail the genesis of the work, which doesn’t carry the same significance as the ownership plot. There’s also a question of Clay, whose purpose in the picture isn’t clear until the final moments, making the misdirection tiring as it competes for attention with two major story arcs. 
Unfortunately, the production strives to turn “The Words” into a puzzle instead of a direct shot of torment. To be blunt, the ending is awful, with Klugman and Sternthal working to knock viewers off-balance with questions surrounding the deception of fiction instead of driving home a human touch, returning to Rory’s life-changing decision and the aftermath of his actions. Its gamesmanship the movie didn’t need, altering the dynamic of a perfectly internalized display of drama. Starring: Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Ben Barnes Directors: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal » See full cast & crew |
 
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