Normally the weekend after Labor Day is a wash-out at the movies…
That’s not the case this year thanks to CBS FILMS’ new melodrama THE WORDS acquired at the Sundance Film Festival.
The movie marks a 180 degree turn for Bradley Cooper whom we’ve come to associate primarily with comedy roles.
What we’ve got here is a case of plagiarism embedded in a story of a story behind the story.
THE WORDS has struggling, mediocre writer Cooper rocket to fame after passing off a manuscript as his own. He found it while honeymooning with Zoe Saldana in Paris.
The pages were stashed in an old satchel he bought at an antique shop and it’s now his claim to fame and fortune.
“I’m not who I thought I was and never will be.”
So who would ever find out?
Well, Jeremy Irons does. He’s an old man who shows up and confronts Cooper about the rip-off.
That’s where the film flashes back to Irons as a young American soldier stationed in past war Paris.
It’s his tragic love story AND his manuscript.
Should Irons now ruin Cooper’s career? Will he accept a payoff? How will it all play out?
But hold on!
What we’ve got here is triple-tiered storytelling. You see, there’s current darling of the publishing world Dennis Quaid pushing HIS new book called ‘The Words.’
It’s a thriller about facing a crisis of conscience. Of Bradley Cooper’s character plagiarising old man Jeremy Irons and paying a steep price for his ambition.
The movie can be be summed up with this quote from the soundtrack:
“Sometimes you have to choose between life and fiction. The two are very close.”
THE WORDS also features Olivia Wilde, J.K. Simmons, Nora Amezeder and Ron Rifkin.
It’s executive produced by Bradley Cooper and won’t disappoint melodramatic-seeking moviegoers on this first weekend of Kansas City’s fall movie season.
Raising 3-1/2 out of 5 (not so) literary fingers.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES is Kansas City’s longest running movie magazine and featured Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on NewsRadio KMBZ FM & AM. And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.
It’s actually Zoe SALDANA, and I’d watch that hot little Dominicana in anything.
Rented “Headhunter” Jack. Sweedish flick with the guy from “Game of Thrones”.
Excellent.
Saw “Win Win” too. Giamatti is a treasure.
This flick sounds good. 🙂
nobody cares what you watched on tv last night chuck
Jack had mentioned the paucity of movie entertainment in one of his recent columns so I tossed those into the ring.
It wasn’t my intention to offend you.
If so, I am sorry.
🙂
LOL I bet
Hey Super Dave, I just watched KC Week In Review.
Mary Sanchez looked really nice.
Good info on the Bishop Finn scandal.
Just thought you would want to know.
🙂
I just watched a Squidbillies where Early is jealous that Rusty gets the notority when he takes the fall for his petty crimes and drunken driving.
The squid that voiced Rusty was just exquisite! (I heard he was once slotted to play Craig in the King of Sting) 😉
+1
Is it on demand?
Sweet! damn hate it when I miss a great program