Fighting Words

Written and directed by E. Paul Edwards, "Fighting Words" is a low-budget romantic drama set in the fringe world of slam poetry. Jake Thompson (Jeff Stearns) is the pained poet and Marni Elliot (Tara T'Agostino) the HIV-positive book publisher who takes an interest in the promising young man's person and work. C. Thomas Howell appears as a slime ball, cutthroat poet (and ex-boy friend of Marni) who will stop at nothing to keep Jake from winning a competition and the book deal that goes with it. Fred Willard puts in an appearance near the end as the emcee of the contest.

The movie is certainly well-intentioned, and it earns at least a few points for its unusual subject matter, but an overall amateurishness in the performances and direction relegates it to minor league status. Moreover, an air of contrivance in the storytelling - especially in the final third - goes a long way towards undercutting any credibility the film might have had.

This film is about a young poet who falls in love with a publisher who is HIV positive.

It is difficult to make a film about poetry, as poem recitals can hardly be described as exciting and visually stimulating. "Fighting Words" tries to make it more interesting by having controversial and provocative story lines. Though I applaud the filmmakers for their hard work, but "Fighting Words" is still rather underwhelming. It is not visually pleasing, and the pacing is rather slow. It is also unfortunate that many of the "poems" in the final slam are too vulgar and gross for the literary passionates. The final result is that "Fighting Words" does not appeal to romantic comedy viewers nor poetry lovers.

This film is remarkable in that it is both a highly engaging work of film-making but also a great poetic work. The actors, too, pull off a verbal tour de force, especially in scenes when they are "making up" poems off the tops of their heads. If you like past-faced, verbal action, this is your flick. C Thomas Howell is superb as the nasty, too successful "street poet". Writer director Paul Edwards delivers outstanding performances and a nuanced look at the modern phenomenon known as slam poetry. This is also a love story, a film of self-discovery, and a rumination on the creative process. I highly recommend it.