The Words Movie Review

Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana (r) star in The Words

From our friends at DC Film Review...

The Words: Simple, Yet Entertaining

IMDb Plot: A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man's work.

Director: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal (in their directorial debut)

What’s Best: Perhaps CBS Films’ The Words caught me on a good day, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s opening half. Stars Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana form a successful romantic pairing, while Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons delivers charm and sarcasm with equal aplomb. Cooper’s everyman quality never seems to get old, but I would have loved to see more development between his character and Irons’. J. K. Simmons’ shines as Cooper’s supportive dad.

On a side note, any time you can put Saldana, Olivia Wilde and Ms. DC Film Review hopeful Nora Arnezeder together in one movie... you’re doing something right.

What’s Worst: Klugman & Sternthal let things slip a bit in the second half of the film, losing most of the momentum from The Words’ superior beginning. It’s clear they were aiming at misdirection and mystery (especially with Wilde and Dennis Quaid’s characters) but unable to pull it off effectively. Some questions are never really answered; and the ones that are, feel anti-climatic. Note to novice directors: A good movie needs a beginning, a middle and an end.

Best Line: Two ironic lines tie for top honors. Dora (Saldana) heaps praise on hubby Rory (Cooper) ‘Your words are more honest,’ while Rory’s boss remarks ‘You’ve written a remarkable work of fiction.’ All this, the result of a stolen novel. Clever stuff.

Cool Cameo: I let out a chuckle when Michael McKean (Lenny from Laverne & Shirley) showed up to present an award to the mysterious Clay Hammond (Quaid.) More Lenny!

Overall: The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get at how The Words ended. The story is far from original (even Rory’s boss observes ‘This isn’t the first time an author has done something like this.’) but the players are engaging and the romantic tales sufficiently compelling. A nice effort; I only wish it came together a little better.

Grade: B-