"Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

-


Everyone has a story. Whether or not that story is worth telling is a matter of perspective. Some stories are simple and not very interesting whereas others are colorful and come to life in your mind's eye with each word being told. Those who are lucky enough to have their stories told in literature or in cinema get to give you a glimpse of the life they led and how and why they came to have this story be one of the fortunate (or unfortunate depending on your view) be told.

Author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy in her first portrayal of a non-fictional character) is an alcoholic, lesbian anti-social woman whose books use to market the bookshelves, now she can't even get her agent Marjorie (Jane Curtin) to pick up the phone let alone give her funding for another book. Broke and facing potential eviction and losing her cat to illness, Lee decides to sell a signed letter from Katherine Hepburn who she wrote a biography on in order to get some cash and in that moment stumbles onto the idea to forge letters with signatures of those like Fanny Brice and develops a revenue for her "merchandise" among collector shops with the assistance of one of her few friends who is more drinking buddy and partner in crime Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant). For a while Lee is able to cover her rent, pay bills and take care of her ailing cat, but as suspicion into authenticity among collector and trade owners including one Lee has come to have interest in Anna (Dolly Wells) it begins to unravel putting Lee in the sights of the law leading her down a path she never meant to take towards being the main character in her own unlikely story.

If there was a simple sentence to describe this life-based story it would be, "As real as it gets" Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of a character that is a complete contrast to her real-life personality and how it is delivered with elements of passion and realism shows Melissa has genuine talent and range. Along with the antics portrayed by Richard E. Grant of the drug abusing, alcoholic Jack Hock known for burning ever bridge with anyone he met with his outlandish behavior makes these two dynamic to watch to see how far they'll go and when they show genuine emotion and humility in their strange friendship. It's a film well on its way to becoming a classic and worthy of the five G.M.Stars I give to it, no forgery required.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Green Mountain Stars

 "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" is available at Redbox and where movies are sold/streamed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase"

-
Image
Since 1930, the name Nancy Drew has graced the bookshelves of many young girls and women who were captivated by this strong female sleuth. Since then she's gone through some transformations and has had actors play her on screens big and small including Emma Roberts. Now Nancy has returned for a whole new generation and is out to solve a mystery that may be of the supernatural sorts. Nancy Drew (Sofia Lillis, Beverly Marsh from remake of Stephen King's "IT" ) is feeling like the new girl in River Heights since her father Carson Drew (Sam Trammell) decided to make the town they visit in the summer into their permanent town. Luckily she has more room to skateboard and a couple of good friends George Fayne (Zoe Renee) and Bess Marvin (Mackenzie Graham). Yet after pulling a little justice prank on the popular quarterback Derek Barnes (Evan Castelloe) who cyber-humiliated Bess, Nancy lands in hot water with the local authorities, one of them being her dad and must co
Read more

"Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story"

-
Image
In 1887 New York, one woman that went by the pen name Nellie Bly changed the world of journalism becoming the first investigative journalist and writing a ninety-six page piece that would shock the world with the horrors she witnessed inside the walls of a madhouse. This year, Christina Ricci portrays Nellie Bly and her ten day nightmare. Finding herself with no memory other than the name Nellie Brown (Christina Ricci), this young woman makes headlines in all the papers as to who is the insane girl that showed up on the streets and was brought to the women's insane asylum on Blackwell's Island just outside the city. Under the care of Matron Grady (Judith Light) and Dr. Josiah (Josh Bowman) Nellie undergoes the worst treatment imaginable from bathing in cold filthy water to the harsh labor and abusive treatment from Matron Grady and her staff of nurses in deplorable conditions. Nellie comes to find many of the women there are as sane as the next person and are wrongfully t
Read more

"Bundy and the Green River Killer"

-
Image
For those who have been following online media and the frequent Netflix browser, you've probably have come across the name Ted Bundy recently. High School Musical's Zac Efron has taken the next step in his acting career by portraying the infamous serial killer who just happened to be born in Burlington, Vermont (true fact) and in the course of his life would go on to be a charismatic intelligent man on the surface and the last guy you would expect of killing over thirty women of various ages. Yet not many are aware of the things he did after he was sentenced. Aside from telling his life story and occasionally giving up a victim he also gave detectives insight into the mind of another serial killer, one known as "The Green River Killer" During the 1980's, the state of Washington was plagued by a serial killer that would rape and murder women, many of whom were young runaways and sex workers and leave their bodies naked up and down The Green River giving him t
Read more