Wanting to Write Again, a Biographer Finds Her Voice Within Those of Others

Melissa McCarthy in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

When it comes to biographies and autobiographies, the thing that draws us to them is the prospect of learning about a well-known figure that has made an impact on the world in one way or another.  And, even if we're familiar with someone's story, there's always the possibility of getting to know other aspects about their lives once you begin reading.

Director Marielle Heller has us see biographies in a new light with her comedy-drama, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," which is based on biographer Lee Israel's memoir of the same name and is brought to life by terrific performances and endless intrigue of its subject matter.

In 1991, Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) has hit a low point in her career.  Looking to continue writing, she begins forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights, and then sells them as authentic.  Although she gets away with it at first, the FBI soon begins to close in on her.

McCarthy provides a career-best performance as the cunning author.  While she's done a lot of comedic film roles over the last few years, this one allows her to bring out a more dramatic side to her acting abilities.  This makes for the latest case of an actor/actress accomplishing a smooth transition from one form of acting to the other.  Although McCarthy is given a chance to show her humorous side (she’s given a lot of funny dialogue), she does superb work in mixing it with the hardships and loneliness through which Lee traverses.  This results in her character displaying a bitterness that can make us laugh, but also make us feel for her. 

Throughout the film, McCarthy shows how Lee is conflicted in the crime that she’s committing.  Lee knows that she has to do what she's doing in order to get by, but she also shows traces of guilt when she's with her dealers.  This helps in adding complexity to her character as she's doing what she loves, which is writing, but is doing so in such a way that could land her in trouble. 

Richard E. Grant gives a vibrant performance as Lee's friend, Jack Hock.  While Grant's work in the film is comical for the most part, there are subtleties to him that give his character hints of heartbreak, which offer more to him than what's seen on first impression.  Despite the more poignant elements of his character, Grant does well in providing Jack with a spirit of someone who lives life to the best of their ability.  He delivers jolts of energy that have you feel the excitement that he feels with being involved in Lee's crime, and this makes him a joy to watch whenever he appears.

There are also a couple of other memorable supporting performances in the film.  There’s Jane Curtain as Lee's literary agent, who, even though she only has a couple of scenes, exemplifies well-tuned wit that's shared between her and McCarthy. 

Then, there’s Dolly Wells as a kindhearted bookshop owner who takes a romantic liking to Lee.  It's a quiet, yet emotional performance that builds a compelling character who tries to open herself to Lee, despite the latter not looking for a relationship.  This occurs during their dinner scene later in the film, which is a pivotal moment between them because of how Wells’ character shows small signs that she’s as lonely as Lee and looking for companionship, and Wells expresses a muted sense of longing that makes her few scenes impactful.

The screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty gives you a deep look into this period of Lee's life and what influences her to go about writing the letters.  Holofcener and Whitty bring us through the troubles of Lee's life, showing a writer who's desperate to write.  Whether it be a heated exchange between Lee and her agent, or Lee sitting down at a typewriter and not having any ideas of what to put on the paper, we see how difficult Lee’s career has become, and we're therefore sympathetic towards her reasoning as to why she chooses to create these forged letters.

Between the characters of Lee and Jack, Holofcener and Whitty build a relationship around these two individuals who have become outcasts in their own way.  Through these two characters' humorous and emotional interactions, the screenwriters provide us with insights of the problems that Lee and Jack are facing and show how much these two people need each other. 

The narrative also gives us a view into the world of the dealers who collect these valuable letters.  We see how these dealers operate and how knowledgable that they can be about whether these letters are real or fake, and this gives you an even greater sense of the threat that Lee feels of being exposed for forging the letters.

As a director, Heller crafts an intimate view of Lee, and despite her character using her writing abilities for fraudulent means, we still see the fullness of her character's talents.  In a movie about an individual who has had people lose interest in her work, Heller’s passionate approach to Lee’s story captures your interest throughout the film, having us remain invested in the events of the narrative as Lee digs herself deeper and deeper into her ploy.

Heller also gives the movie occasional, minor thrills, such as in a scene where Lee pretends to be doing research in a library, steals an authentic letter, and replaces it with a word-for-word replica.

With a true story that builds fascination from one scene to the next, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" is an absorbing look at the life of a writer and how her talents led her to a stranger-than-fiction success in the literary world.

Grade: A