The Words

If nothing else, this film was constructed in an interesting way. It reminded me of a Matryoshka doll (or Russian nesting doll, as some might know it). It had this story within a story within a story format. While I could see through the attempt to add depth, I have to disagree with those who found it boring. Personally, I found these actionless ninety minutes enjoyable because they stirred up unexpected thoughts and emotions in me. (07/05/2022)

The cast was great, and I liked the subject matter a lot, but to tell you the truth, I don't know if I liked the film. The style of the narration, the transitions in the interweaving of the time planes, and the way the actors grasped their characters... In short, the whole thing had a slightly sentimental touch of cheesiness, which really disappointed me because otherwise I wouldn't have been so let down by the outcome. (05/28/2020)

Three stories about love, creation, guilt, art, and the fact that sometimes even the deepest feelings are not enough. I don't understand where the creative duo of Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal has been hiding for so long because each of their journeys into the writer's soul escalates more strongly, and the final touch gives the phrase "absolute ending" a completely new dimension. That little point, that last glance and shot, causes the words to stick in your mind weeks in advance and happily return in various life situations. A unique and personal gem that perhaps finally convinces everyone that Bradley Cooper is even better in dramatic roles than in those voice roles. (04/22/2013)

The Words is a film from the family of naivety for the advanced, as were Penance or Ask the Dust. Every little intellectual is happy because John Fante is quoted in the film. Bradley Cooper's performance made me physically nauseous, and even Jeremy Irons playing it safe didn't save the day. By the time I started tearing my hair out, I was somewhat appeased by the inserted storyline featuring Ben Barnes and Nora Arnezeder in mid-1940s Paris, but neither that nor the mere presence of John Hannah could elevate the resulting shape above the usual mumbo-jumbo (i.e., an ambitious drama with a triple narrative line and an attempt at thought overload). (09/18/2012)

The Words has a great subject with Oscar potential, the possibility of a multi-layered idea and a great acting opportunity for the cast. It’s not that it didn’t succeed, but it didn’t do as well as it deserved to do. The flashbacks, which were meant to let the viewer feel the pain of Jeremy Irons’s character, are done in a kitschy way that weakens the whole foundation of the film. But the “in the present” level works, as we understand the decisions that Bradley Cooper makes in his situation, and he does a fine job of portraying the subsequent feelings of guilt and the effort to make everything right. The superstructure with Dennis Quaid attempts to summarize the ideas in hindsight and even playfully relativize them intellectually, but I found that somewhat unnecessary, at least in terms of its benefit for the story. (05/08/2020)