Film Review – The Words
Sometimes a movie leaves you craving more, whether for bad reasons or for good. The Words, a new film starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, is of this variety, though it's not entirely clear the reason.
Though a movie with its own set of strengths, it doesn't feel like an instant classic by any stretch. With a strong cast, solid acting, and an intriguing plot, it seems like a movie with all the pieces in place for a chance at greatness. And at the end of the movie, the viewer is left wanting more, but not for the right reasons, it seems.
It's difficult to summarize the plot of The Words without having it take up the entirety of this review. It's one of those story within a story within a story types of films, not totally dissimilar to Inception in terms of multi-layered approach, but of an entirely different genre.
The Words is a romantic drama, focusing on author Clayton Hammond (Dennis Quaid) narrating his newest novel (first layer). In it, Hammond details the struggle of his character Rory Jansen, also a writer, who stumbles upon a long-lost, unpublished, and thoroughly captivating novel in an old messenger bag in a Paris antique shop (second layer). Confronted with the realization that his writing will never be of the same poignancy, Rory copies the draft and takes it to a publisher, where it becomes a smash literary hit.
One day, Rory meets the Old Man (Jeremy Irons) who follows him to Central Park. After an odd but polite conversation, the man reveals himself as the true writer of the story, and tells Rory of the context leading to it being written, namely the story of his life, marriage, and lost love in Paris (third layer). Rory is then left unsure of how to proceed, and debates revealing his secret to the world.
Throughout The Words there's a continuing theme of a need for more. There needs to be more to the story. All three narratives are interspersed within one another, with the viewer being constantly pulled out of one arc and into another, creating a series of mini-cliffhangers and suspense throughout. The process is entertaining, and does well in building up momentum for the film, but all the build-up never really materializes into a coherent point at the end.
Without revealing too much, The Words has a tendency to leave viewers dissatisfied. While those of us with a craving for resolve may find it infuriating, it's fitting that the film ends without any true sense of resolve. At one point, Clayton Hammond tells his female guest Daniella (Olivia Wilde) that there's no point to his story about Rory and the Old Man, no moral statement other than people moving on after making mistakes.
And for us Christians, we seem to crave more than that. What is it about our Christian culture that craves resolve? Why is such moral ambiguity so troubling? The Words sparks questions such as these, but doesn't come across as having any real answers. It's unclear what the directors' point was in making the film. One could offer a guess that "sometimes there is no point" is the point, which will seem dissatisfying for those of us who demand our movies to 'say something.'
From a justice perspective, it's also profoundly troubling to consider the implications of consequences, or lack thereof for Rory's theft of the novel. The Old Man tells Rory of the setting in which the story was born. But then he walks away. No lawsuit is filed, and nothing more is made of it. For those of us who cry out for justice to be served swiftly and yearn for thieves such as Rory to get their comeuppance, this is excruciating.
One could argue that being faced by the victim, as well as the painful circumstances that gave birth to the novel, are punishment enough. Perhaps the directors are making a statement on how legal action is insufficient in dealing with matters of such a personal nature. But these are just pseudo-film school guesses, as again, it's not altogether clear what is being said.
The Words isn't all bad. The voiceover work done by both Quaid and Jeremy Irons is splendid, and the story does well in engaging the audience. While some may feel jolted and pulled uncomfortably between the three narratives, it's an interesting approach. However, it's difficult to find the value in a movie that seems to go out of its way in removing itself from having an ultimate moral or lesson.
For those comfortable with things not being resolved, The Words has a few good things going for it. For those who crave satisfaction, you'll likely need to look someplace else.
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