I am writing the review after the second watch. First time I found this tape interesting. Because it describes in detail the lives of three writers at once. This is where significant advantages and features of this film end.
It is not bad, but it is deceptively attractive to the amateur eye and excessively nauseating who are at least slightly familiar with the writing life and literature.
This is one of those rare cases when an entire film can be described in just a few words: the tape “The Words” (2012) about three mediocre writers.
If you are interested in this word combination, then I strongly urge you to watch it.
This is a film for amateurs, who can be moved by youthful memories of first love, failures, separation, old age and the futility of their existence.
“The Words” is a film about losers and shortcomings of modern book publishing.
American publishing market
What is actually happening in the American publishing business – I do not know. But they don’t want to publish “a frank, sensual novel, piece of art” in the film, because “no one will buy it.” This is the second film I hear a similar attitude to writing. The situation is similar in the film “Sideways” (read a film review on my blog).
Authors of the film wanna convey to audience the idea the book business is primarily a business rather than art.
Marketing at every step, not creativity and talent. The publishing house sees in the book, firstly, its appeal to the profit, that is, the demand (reader’s taste) dictates the market of “successful” writers who are published and read.
I do not rule out that one day I will get to know the American publishing market much better, but everything looks very sad in the movie “The Words” 2012.
The director tells us too frankly a simple thing: publishers accept only crap you can see on the screens.
I don’t know if it was done on purpose or if I’m very picky, but all three writers are outright losers who don’t deserve respect and popularity. But two of them (or you could say all three) gain recognition and get exactly what most writers want.
Plagiarism
This topic is very painful and relevant for any author. Someone has encountered it, someone does not even think about it, and someone simply makes money from it.
Stealing whole works, ideas, words, sentences – all this existed and will always exist, because all people are very different and see their way of self-realization differently.
In the tape, this act is positioned as a crime there must be some retribution, repentance. It is depicted quite successfully. Authors who have stolen, are stealing, or are about to do so should be ashamed.
Is a writer a profession or a hobby?
The question is raised quite rudely, but in one way or another it applies to every author. Some have the opportunity to devote all their time to writing works, because they have a financial cushion, some cannot afford it (like the hero in the film) and get away with it as best they can: everywhere they save, borrow, wait, look for a main job, and writing takes a back seat.
Actors
The cast is quite powerful and attractive. Bradley Cooper plays quite convincingly and lives like a true writer. I have no complaints against anyone in particular. This is the strongest movie side “The Words” (2012).
What I didn't like (beware, spoilers)
Before reprinting the manuscript, it would not be superfluous to check whether it is someone else’s work already? The probability of this is very high. It could be a manuscript of some small book, but which has already been published. But the main character still just sits down and types. This is a huge risk and thus informs the attentive viewer of the short mind of the young writer.
The average book has 15 author pages, each consists of approximately 40,000 characters. That is, the total number is 600 thousand. This is the number main character had to type. In the movie, he did it overnight, which is physically impossible. At its typing speed, it should take at least 50 hours of work, but no 6-7-10 hours.(Even when freewriting, my average speed only reaches 300 characters per minute).
But there is another side here. The work was written in two weeks (so it was said in the film), so it can be assumed that it was not too large either, because writing a book in such a period also requires a lot of effort. And even if we assume the efficiency of the original typing, it is impossible to rewrite everything overnight.
It really could ruin the whole plot, because the dramatic part and the brevity would be a little modernized, but at the same time it points to the obvious gaps in the work written by one of the mentioned writers.
This can be a sign to the viewer: “look, despite such blunders, I’m still popular, and the whole hall listens to me.”
Movie Review Conclusions “The Words” 2012
The triple bagel of writer’s stories is attractive. It is fascinating to watch, the movie is intriguing and requires attention and full concentration. Despite this, it is quite superficial in terms of content.
All the characters are stupid and do not very smart things throughout the movie. It makes the filmmaker a pathetic attempt pretend to be something he can’t be. If we assume this is the kind of directorial move that echoes the three clumsier of the authors in question, then this is a genius self-irony. Precisely, it does not allow giving this movie a high rating.
The film vividly portrays the state (possible) of affairs in American publishing: three failed writers rise to fame, each in their own universe and in their own way.
Intrigue in an attractive script and excellent acting take away all the points I give to film “The Words” 2012. Unfortunately, I can’t highlight anything else.
I recommend for viewing. The movie is not bad. The tape is successfully added to my list of films about writers.
My rating is 7 out of 10
