THE WORDS

THE WORDS

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday from directors Brian Klugman, Lee, Sternthal and CBS Films comes a story about the importance of THE WORDS.

This film tells the story of Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a writer who can’t find his way into the publishing world. Being supported by his love Dora (Zoe Saldana), she believes it is possible for him to write the words. After getting married, the two honeymoon in Paris and while on a shopping trip find a leather case.

Returning home Rory submits a manuscript that is rejected. While clearing away his work he finds a manuscript hidden in the leather case. After reading it Rory knows this is the work that has potential to be published and submits it. The book takes off and the couple’s lives are on a high.

That is until a mysterious old man (Jeremy Irons) shows up to tell Rory a story that shocks him deeply. Is this all real or all in the mind of another writer named Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid), another tortured writer whose world is crumbling.

No one could have known the power of the words.

FINAL WORD:  Cooper is lovely as Rory and that being said I feel that he has done this kind of role before. Not exactly the same obviously which doesn’t stop me from appreciating what he is doing in this film. There are moments of such pain on this actor’s face that are remarkable. 

The same is true of Saldana as Dora. As the girlfriend/wife/lover of a man whose life is tragic by his own making I truly wish there was more of a performance here from her. Quaid as Hammond is just a man riding the razors edge of a madness he can’t explain.

My heart totally belonged to Jeremy Irons as the old man. Yes, his screen time is small but when he is there speaking I am riveted. On the face of this man is a pain he hasn’t been willing to share and when he does with Rory/Cooper, he doesn’t get the relief he thought talking about it would bring.

Other cast: John Hannah as Richard Ford, Michael McKean as Nelson Wylie, J.K. Simmons as Mr. Jansen, Olivia Wilde as Daniella, James Babson as Dan Zuckerman, Ron Rifkin as Timothy Epstein, Brian Klugman as Jason Rosen, Liz Stauber as Camy Rosen and Ben Barnes as the Young Man.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give THE WORDS three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. I know readers are probably wondering why I score it so high if I have seen these performances before. I do so because the story is haunting, sad and beautiful. The cast does a lovely job in their performances and I personally adore Jeremy Irons so perhaps there is a tad bit of a bias working here.

Its a triangle Rubik’s cube that twists the story every which way it possibly can trying to find a way out of the pain. When its not possible no matter how each corner tries, the end result is the exhausting realization that love hurts, words possess and a price to be paid for it all.

In the end – there is a price to pay for using the words!

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