merelyaninnuendo
The WordsOne would assume that a tale that depicts multiple authors with parallel plotline that goes deep into a narration within a narration, would wind up with making some sense or point, one is wrong. The writers may have an idea to begin with but that is not what gets you on the other side of the road and in here there are way too many ups and downs with a congested traffic where there is no room of art or craft. The feature is poorly executed with not a single lose thread to offer to the audience for them to hold on to this overlong journey. Unfortunately, the performance is dull too, which comes as a bit of a shock considering the cast it contains like Bradley Cooper, Denis Quaid, Jeremy Irons, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde. The Words is an expired slow pill with a character driven tone that has to offer a wafer thin script, which pretty much tells you why it never reaches its destination.
Floated2
The Words is a storytelling drama based within the reality of storytelling within a story. It has received below to average reviews, and was a box office underachievement. Through the film, it appears to goes nowhere other than to take a left turn from disappointment into total mess in the final thirty minutes which are weighed down with false drama and ambiguous character motivations that I just wanted someone to get hit by a truck. The Words takes a few turns and becomes somewhat uninteresting once The old man appears. The film turns into another story and becomes tiresome when he gets into his "story".What we realize is the basic of the plot which is Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) whom is a successful author that is reading passages from his latest novel to a rapt audience that includes Daniella (Olivia Wilde). The story he tells is that of Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) and his wife Dora (Zoe Saldana). Rory wants to be a writer. Further into the story, Rory faces rejection from publishers, dismissal by his father (J.K. Simmons), and begins to think that he may have to give up on his dream. As Rory whines, walks out of dinners, and generally bemoans the fact that he may not watch his dreams comes true, he stumbles upon a manuscript in a French briefcase and his life is forever changed. The stories within that case are mesmerizing. And Rory decides to take them as his own. Then their original author (Jeremy Irons) shows up. Their appears to be theories suggesting the Old man was not real, and that Clay (Dennis Quaid) simply made up the story of the Old man in his novel (as the plagiarism plot) to have something more to write. The film may be confusing at times, but it still isn't too good. Though this films, are for a specific audience.
rs-20610
Loved the movie. It is very deep and thoroughly engaging. Loved every minute of it. The 3 layers of the movie are beautifully presented. It is definitely a very neat story with excellent screen play. I definitely did not expect the end. The suspense has been woven in very well. I also really liked the message that the story tells, in the words on the old man, when he reflects on the reasons for his pain in life.Amazing performance by all the actors.Surprised the movie was rated bad on rotten tomatoes. Guess, critiques' judgments are not always right. The movie definitely deserves an 8 or more.
sbierly
I've just watched The Words for the second time, mesmerized and tear- struck throughout. Frankly, I'm shocked and disappointed at the complete critical disdain that has been bestowed on this beautiful work of art. I just had to read some of what the critics wrote to try to understand how this could be. Mind you, I only read the top 5 reviews, and I am shocked to find the criticisms both due to microscopic nit-picking, and to studiously missing the point, I think. Maybe everybody sees something different, or what they want to see. Regardless, I hope anybody reading this will take heart and watch this movie, who knows what you will see in it.With that in mind, I will attempt to write it without spoilers, although that of course presents challenges. I found this movie to be philosophical genius. To me, it's not about the specific plot at all, not even about ethics or the stealing of a story. This movie is a brilliant inspection of the human condition, of the clash between the conflicting passions for love and individual goals and self esteem, and most of all the choices that one makes in life in the process. This movie is about the essences of life--passion and choice, the future that this spawns, and the consequences that must be lived with because that's all there is to do. You can't unmake a choice, you just have to see how it plays out.This essential plot is constructed out of many layers, scenes, actors, and threads of story line. The cinematography is sensual, understated, and beautiful, and places you squarely as a quiet observer of the interconnected webs of human drama built upon the cascading choices and events, the interplay of lives, places, and consequences. The musical score is marvelous, creating feelings of appropriate drama, depth, and underscore to the orchestrations of life on the screens. Most significantly, there are the words themselves.On the one hand, "the words", like the rest of the plot details, are simply the excuse to illustrate the human condition. Yet, these words also are profound on many levels--powerful, sensual, passionate, desperate, even confessional, the words themselves take a life of their own across decades of time and transcending lives. The words are living choices as fiction from life, and yet the power of their consequences propagates in wave after wave of impact on the lives of others. There is metaphor in the repeated choices made due to the words and the ensuing loss. Whether you are reading the words yourself, hearing them narrated, watching the inspiring events, or hearing the tale from the one that experienced them, each unique perspective reinforces the diversity with which life and its choices are experienced differently by all who come in contact with them.This is what I see in this movie. It is beautiful and profound on many levels, a joy to experience with all your senses, and a provocative nudge towards introspection of your own choices and consequences in life. This is one of the best films I have ever seen, and I guess I feel sorry for all of the reviewers I just read complaining about holes in the plot. I'm afraid they watched but couldn't see the actual brilliance of this film.Bravo to "The Words".
