Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Jane Curtin

Directed by Marielle Heller

The Story:
Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) was a modestly successful biographer in the 70s and 80s, but never really made a name for herself independently as an author.  As the 90s began, no one was interested anymore in those she wanted to write about, and even her publicist Marjorie (Jane Curtin) refused to help her.  She finds herself broke, without a job, about to be evicted, and dealing with an ill cat and finds her life spiraling out of control, until she finds a personal letter from a famous person and decides to sell it.  She doesn't get as much for it because the letter was too plain, so she writes letters herself pretending to be famous people and makes them more interesting, which starts bringing in the cash.

When the FBI starts getting wind of the forgeries, she enlists her only friend Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant) to sell her forgeries, but their relationship becomes strained and she finds herself at her wits end once again.  As the feds close in on her, she must find a way to make it out so she won't end up behind bars.

The Synopsis:
Melissa McCarthy has already established herself as one of the best comediennes of her time, even earning a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for her work in "Bridesmaids" - a feat that's extremely impressive due to the fact that the Academy doesn't generally recognize comedy.  With "Can You Ever Forgive Me," she manages to tap into her more dramatic roots (and also serve as her first film where she plays someone who was actually alive), and the result is nothing more than pure cinematic magic - and her first Best Actress Academy Award nomination.

Lee Israel was a very sheltered woman, an individual who never really took kindly to other people.  She cared more for her cat than any other human, was standoffish and rude, and wasn't visually appealing either, which made it almost impossible for her to really achieve fame as a writer, which was something she wanted to do.  She spent her time writing biographies about celebrities, but those she deemed worthy of writing about soon fell into obscurity, and even her publicist pointed out that no one wanted to read biographies of the celebrities Lee wanted to write about.

Faced with insurmountable problems, Lee discovers a hand-written note by a famous person and decides to sell it, but realizes she could've made more if the letter was more intriguing.  So she sets out to forge letters, signing them as famous people, and making a profit from them.  It was only a matter of time before she gets found out, but until then she relishes in the income she's making, which allowed her to climb out of the gutter she found herself in.

What's really unique about this film is that there's no really likable characters - or at least there shouldn't be.  Lee Israel was unapologetic, borderline-agoraphobic, someone who didn't have any friends and never wanted them, and who pushed away anyone who dared come close to her.  Yet McCarthy's natural charisma shines through, and Lee is given an anti-hero arc that makes her surprisingly likable and someone you end up rooting for.

Much the yang to Lee's yin, her only friend Jack Hock was everything Lee wasn't - popular, charismatic, flamboyant, and incredibly loud.  Richard E. Grant fully envelops this role, as the two become the most unlikely pair imaginable.  They enjoy each others' company and fully unload on each other so effortlessly they come off as the perfect pair - until a tragic mistake sends them into turmoil, and we really see how strong their friendship truly is.  Along with McCarthy, Richard E. Grant plays his role to pitch-perfection, earning him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his valiant effort.

The film is shot with the intention of really showing how distraught Lee's life was.  There wasn't any bright sunny days, the hues used were very monochromatic and plain, and there's no real flashy moments in the entire film that only adds to the sense of despair Lee lived in.  Likewise the entire New York City scene was uniquely shot in a way that hearkened back to the bustling writing era of the 90s.  Several scenes were shot in the few actual bookstores that still exist, and those places were also where the real Lee Israel sold her forgeries, adding a sense of authenticity to the film (which is ironic, since the film itself is about forgery).  Apart from Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, the setting itself played the third character with beautiful brilliance, much like the entire film itself.

The Summary:
With compelling performances by Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me" heightens itself above a mere biopic and turns into a unique tale about the power of perseverance, even though it's not the most legal way.

The Score: A+