"Words" is a film that should be designated as the embodiment of an old friendly dream. In the film, positioned as a melodramatic thriller, director-debutants Brian Klagman and Lee Sterntal talked about the consequences of literary borrowing with the help of cramped movie stamps.
Idea of creating a picture
Like many other Hollywood projects, The Words was conceived for a very long time. The idea of creating the tape visited the authors 12 years before the start of the filming process. Three Philadelphia like-minded people, including screenwriters Brian Klagman and Lee Sterntal, as well as actor Bradley Cooper, were friends from childhood and dreamed of conquering Hollywood.
Over time, they realized their creative potential in the film industry, including while working on the film "Words". The directors and the actor embodied their long-standing vision in 2012. Initially, the picture was supposed to be more gloomy, saturated with hopelessness, as befits a thriller. But during the filming, the authors turned onto a melodramatic trail. Alas, their delights were not appreciated. The low-budget project ($ 6,000,000), although it paid off at the box office ($ 13,231,461), was torn to pieces by critics. The film “Words” (2012) received mostly negative reviews. Film experts called him a loser in all directions. However, the audience was much more condescending, the rating of the tape was 7.1 points.
Plot. First part
Among the modest list of advantages, the leading place is occupied by the plot of the film "Words". Its originality lies in the structure, consisting of three stories, as if “embedded” in each other: a story about one story, telling about another event.
The story begins with a demonstration by the novelist Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) of his new novel, The Words.
Further, the picture acquaints the viewer with the employee of the publishing house Rory Jensen (Bradley Cooper), expressively suffering from a lack of inspiration and, as a result, due to the unfulfillment of his literary ambitions. However, during a honeymoon with his young wife Dora (Zoe Saldana), he finds an old briefcase in which an unknown manuscript is written. Impressed by the read story, exhausted by insomnia, Rory appropriates this opus. The publication of the novel brings the hero wide popularity, recognition and fame. Rory triumphs, receives literary awards, enjoys signing autographs and interviews, this continues until he meets the old man.
The second and third components
This is where the writer's readings end; one of the most ardent fans of the novelist Danielle (Olivia Wilde) is in a hurry to meet Clay Hammond. Critics in the reviews of the film “Words” (2012) called this moment a turning point, since at that time they had the hope that the banal plot and the languid play of talented actors would turn out to be an authorial artistic device. Many suggested that the debuting directors wanted to demonstrate the quality of the works of the writer Clay Hammond with the help of cinema. However, they were all disappointed. Perhaps forty years ago, such a film would have been a success for Woody Allen, but Klagman and Sterntal are completely different authors.
The third act is marked by the appearance of another storyteller performed by Jeremy Irons, who tells the story of the third writer, played by Ben Barnes. This writer was an American, seasoned by World War II, but could not stand the test of feelings.
To the merits of the picture, book lovers will surely rank the invisible presence throughout the entire timing of the great and dear to their heart Hemingway.
Production drama about the everyday life of writers
Filmmakers in the reviews for the film “Words” (2012) emphasize that the multi-layered plot looks promising and interesting. But when viewing it, it seems that the authors themselves became entangled in the intricacies of the narrative, without fully feeling why they were needed and what they wanted to say. The project, which began as a tape in support of copyright protection, could be called exciting, because no one could have guessed what an old man with a difficult fate from whom the work was stolen was capable of. Recall only “Secret Window” (2004) with Johnny Depp. The topic of plagiarism in our chaotic modernity is more relevant than ever, it could be revealed in the brainchild of the director's tandem, as in an ideal dramatic thriller.
Unrealized potential
The plot of the film "Words" (2012) reviews are equated with a nesting doll. Beginning filmmakers love to work on the implementation of such ideas, naively believing that the special chic and complexity will elevate their debut work to the rank of a film masterpiece. However, few people cope with such a "scenario Titanic." Brian Klagman and Lee Sterntal failed. Creative torment, Hemingway, copyright, the moral that stealing is bad, the problem of plagiarism and the real author - all this is outlined in italics in the tape, but it never came to turning the draft into a finished product. It’s a pity, because the potential was huge.
Ambiguous criticism
The thriller “Words” (2012) with Bradley Cooper was not analyzed and criticized only by the lazy.
A New York Times journalist called the tape a smart and fascinating story, unable to withstand too much research. A more categorical assessment of the project was the contributing author Movie Habit, who described The Words as one of the most annoying films of the year. He is also echoed by Ozus' World Movie Reviews columnist, claiming that he has not yet seen a flatter and more unconvincing melodrama of literary fraud.
The critic James Kendrick, who is inclined to position the thriller as an ambitious dedication to the mysterious nature of the literary process, but completely detached from the cinema, spoke of the film neutral.
Reviews from a wide audience
The audience spoke about the film "Words" more restrained and loyal. Most reviewers noticed the cliched dialogue, the inappropriateness at certain moments of the musical accompaniment, and excessive pretense. Many, not hiding their disappointment, nevertheless noted positive moments like scenery, historical atmosphere, acting, but were upset about the predictability of history. In general, there was unanimity in the reviews, expressed in the approval of topics about writers who neglect professional ethics.
Unfortunately, the picture, stuffed with the stories of the characters, could not bring them together. Critics also got the actors in the movie Words, especially Bradley Cooper. According to many reviewers, the artist definitely has a craving for arrogant, possessing unholy characters.
Bradley Cooper & Co
In the past, the little-known gifted Bradley Cooper began his ascent to fame with episodic and secondary roles. Now he rightfully takes a place among the leading Hollywood movie stars. This situation is largely due to the tremendous success of the stag franchise, which shook the latest canons of censorship regarding contemporary comedies for an adult audience. The actor subsequently reinforced his professional solvency with a brilliant game in the "Field of Darkness", in this picture he acted as a leading actor and producer. The fantastic thriller was enthusiastically received by critics and brought significant profit at the box office. In the comedy drama "My Boyfriend is Crazy", the actor demonstrated decent dramatic abilities. Why his character in “Words” did not seem worthy of attention, one can only guess.
Zoe Saldana ("Avatar", "Guardians of the Galaxy") is trying her best to show that men do not love her. Olivia Wilde in the films “Race”, “Three days to escape” and especially in the series “Doctor House” looked more impressive than in “Words”. Jeremy Irons (“Lolita”, “Casanova”, “House of Spirits”) and Dennis Quaid (“Dragon Heart”, “Radio Wave”, “Dog Life”) were completely pushed into the far corner.
To success through plagiarism and lies
Despite the promising trailer, the cameo of Jeremy Irons, a famous actor in the title role and beautiful actresses, the tie is the only truly successful component of the movie "Words". It is far from innovative, but truly fascinating: parallel stories, a mysterious portfolio, an accidentally discovered manuscript, a triumph through a lie.
But the directorial tandem of the debutants did not manage to bring the story to the maximum point of tension and keep the intrigue. Nevertheless, each of the viewers will find something interesting for themselves in the cinema. For those who are particularly picky, who were expecting a literary thriller in the spirit of The Phantom (2010), there is a recommendation - just review Roman Polanski's masterpiece.