The Words

CBS Films | Release Date: September 7, 2012

6.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

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GreatMartinSep 7, 2012

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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IndiefilmloverSep 11, 2012

"The Words" is by no means a great film, but it is not a dreadful film either. It tells the story of a struggling writer (Bradley Cooper), who is faced with the choice to pass off another writer's novel as his own. Because so much of the"The Words" is by no means a great film, but it is not a dreadful film either. It tells the story of a struggling writer (Bradley Cooper), who is faced with the choice to pass off another writer's novel as his own. Because so much of the story rests on the writer's thoughts and not on his external actions, the material does not lend itself well to a visual medium like film. Also in a day and age where publishing is dominated by nonfiction, novelizations of movies and genre fiction, it's hard to image someone risking so much in the pursuit of wealth and fame as a novelist of literary fiction. Rather than pass a novel as his own, more likely someone would use a novel as the basis for a screenplay, where it could be potentially sold for a substantial amount of money. With rare exceptions, the goal from the sale of literary fiction would more realistically lead to a professorship at a prestigious university.

However, given the limitations of the story, the filmmakers do their best to make it visual and to subvert expectations. In other words, the story doesn't always go into an obvious direction, but without going into specifics, it doesn't always follow a logical path.

For those yearning for something a bit smarter than the average mass market pictures, "The Words" is worth consideration. The cast including Cooper do a good job given the limitations of the material. Zoe Saldana is totally underutilized in the film. She is relegated to the "supportive wife" role where most of her scenes involve her either flirting or encouraging her beau in some way.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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SantiagoMAKiiNASep 17, 2012

The marketing machinery behind this film would have you believe this is some kind of romantic film. And they are right as far as the "some kind" is concerned. However this is much more than the simple premise of love amongst people.
TheThe marketing machinery behind this film would have you believe this is some kind of romantic film. And they are right as far as the "some kind" is concerned. However this is much more than the simple premise of love amongst people.
The Words turns out to be more of a psychological exploration in the exercise of denial and solitude. Although the pieces are hard to put together before the very last sixty seconds of the film.
For all of you who would be paying close attention to well laid out visuals, there is a particularly relevant scene about thirty minutes into the movie. It is more of a flash. The first time our hero is laying in bed and can't get the newfound story out of his mind. That first dream, or possibly even nightmare. It begins with him hugging his wife from behind by the stove. And in a flash we see both him and her in that same French time period as if they were the characters of the story from the past. In fact, portraying the same hug...
For some reason, those few frames stayed with me until the end of the film, and it served me well, since they become particularly relevant when Dennis Quaid finally reveals to Olivia Wilde what has really been going on all along.
I enjoyed the intricacy of this romantic puzzle very much, and I had planned to lay it out for you in these words. But I'd rather you watch it on your own and enjoy it as I did. All I'll say is this:
Don't assume this movie is what it seems. It's purposely disguised as a simple romantic premise. Pay attention to detail. Specially the similarities between the couple's New York apartment and the French apartment. And the parallel in events from past to present as certain elements are revealed amongst both couples. It's not a coincidence.… Expand