Review by Jeremy Butler
“For the record, I am a better Dorthy Parker than Dorthy Parker.”
Looks like Melissa McCarthy is attempting to branch out from her usual branch of raunchy comedy. Or at least she is dipping her toe in the water of such an idea, as Can you ever forgive me is not without it’s rauch. Based on the novel by Lee Israel, a known literary forger said to have forge over 400 false letters from notable writers, McCarthy plays the character and brings the comical quips that she has became famous for. Paired with Richard E Grant, the two work off one another with positive results. Probably one of the best examples of a non romantic pairing I’ve seen this year.
When we meet Lee (McCarthy) she is a down on her luck autobiographical writer whose has just lost her job, behind on her rent, relates better to her cat than she does to people. At one point in time in her career, she was a best selling author, who was know for her ability to disappear in her writing and showcase her subject almost as if she was them. A skill that will serve her well later in life.
Desperate for money, she pawns a obscure letter she received in the past for a moderate sum. When the buyer tells her that that if the letter was of better content, the value would be higher, she takes a chance. Crafting a fake letter and passing it off as the genuine article. It works and she suddenly sees dollar signs and becomes engrossed into the world of forgery.
During her descent into criminality, she reconnects with an old friend Jack Hock (Richard E Grant), a upper class bum who begins to get her to come out of her shell. Lee is living the high life for a moment until things take a turn when her works of art attract the attention of the FBI.
I will confess a period of disorientation, as I knew next to nothing about this project and it seems like we were at least 10 minutes into the story before McCarthy’s name was first uttered. Other than that, the movie was a great success in my opinion. I cannot speak to how true to the source material the film is, but to my mind the story was easily relative and believable. I would have liked their to have been more emphasis on the forgery techniques that Lee utilized to pass off her works as the genuine articles. There are some depictions such as her using original paper stock and using her oven to age her facsimiles, but I can’t help but imagine they there had to be additional sophisticated methods that were implemented as well.
I had no idea what to expect from this movie. I figured it was going to be another autobiographical tale, but as I said McCarthy and Grant make a phenomenal team on screen. Their back and fourth was witty and hilarious. There is a definite chemistry on screen between them.
The main thing that caught me off guard about the film was that I wasn’t expecting it to be funny. Obviously I assume that there may have been a few inadvertent moments given McCarthy’s profile in the comedic realm; however, she was not the scene stealer for me, Richard E Grant was. Though he came off at times as dim witted, he still was able to match quips with McCarthy and the way he carrying himself despite not having a place to live or any reliable source of income, he exuded class and sophistication. In this regard, the two leads were polar opposites. Where Grant had class, Lee was brash, antisocial, and don’t get me started on her hygiene. Trust me when you get a look at her apartment, you will understand. I dare anyone to look at the state of her home and not cringe.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? Isn’t going to be a box office winner, but all and all it is a good movie experience and I recommend seeing it. It has historical value as it’s based on a real-life individual. However, it does add credence to the idea that crime does pay, given the memoir on which the film is based made it to the bestseller list.
(3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Rated R by the MPAA for language including some sexual references, and brief drug use
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
