User reviews

It's difficult to really determine what this films true intention was at first, but then you realize that this movie is more honest and open then you hope for. It's deep to say the least, it really pulls you in and makes you feel for the characters involved, especially Jeremy Irons Character (past and present). The true price of falsely claiming a work of art is yours isn't the guilt that you didn't write it, its the realization that you could never create it on your own. This movie is inspiring as it is overwhelming, not to be taken into high regard but it was very much worth paying attention to. If you write, if you draw, if you create anything that makes you proud that you did it, share it, if not you will regret it for the rest of your life, that was the true message of this film.

The Words is a story within a story within a story. I absolutely loved the story within the story. A masterful telling of an intriguing situation with wonderful acting and believable emotions that, at both levels, tugged at my heart strings. However, the third level added very little, or should I say distracted from the rest. It was meant to put a twist on the story within the story, to make the viewer think and wonder, but it was mostly a distraction, and the acting was far inferior to the other two levels. The producers should have seen this but instead, they took something great and made it good. Another reviewer said somewhere that negative reviews were from people who "didn't get it". That's pretty conceited by them to think that they were the only ones who got it. Trust me, I got it, I just didn't like it. All that being said, it was still worth watching, if only for the two inner layers.

While subdued and a little slow-moving, THE WORDS is a good--and not too heavy-handed--modern morality tale of how one serious act of dishonesty irreversibly affects a writer's entire life and career. The fact that his act would be difficult to ever prove or prosecute only makes things worse in many ways for Rory Jansen. The various additional elements of suspense and romance help to create a unique combination.

Interesting plot-structure: No huge twists or surprises, but everything fits together with slow, subtle tension. The acting ranges from tepid to quite good. Various details are also important; it might be a good idea, for example, to freeze-frame and read the rejection letters that Rory Jansen receives toward the beginning. A lot of people apparently don't like the way THE WORDS ends, but I sure do. Along with "the old man"'s embedded tale, the conversations between best-selling author Clay Hammond and fan/aspiring author Daniella are easily the most engaging aspects of this film.

Anyone with interests in fiction writing, the publishing industry, and/or related subjects will probably find THE WORDS a compelling enough film; those without such interests, however, may find it pretty dull. Even for the latter folks, I would also recommend SHATTERED GLASS (2004), starring Hayden Christensen, which has a similar conflict, a faster pace, and generally better acting.

The Words opens with author Clay Hammond (Denis Quaid) giving a reading for his recent best-selling book, The Words. Hammond's reading takes us into the life of his character, Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a young author struggling to publish his books make ends meet.

One night, Jansen discovers an old manuscript hidden in an antique briefcase that his wife Dora (Zoe Saldana) purchased for him on their honeymoon in Paris. He reads the yellowed first-draft of the novel, marveling at the unknown author's talent.

Jansen struggles with what he should do with the masterpiece he's found. Eventually, he decides to type the entire novel on his laptop so he can "feel the words flow" through his own fingers.

When his wife sees the novel on his computer, she—in typical Hollywood fashion—assumes he wrote it and praises him for his depth and creativity before he has a chance to tell her the truth.

From here, the film skips back and forth between the fictional Rory and Dora Jansen, and the story of their creator, Clay Hammond.

Rory publishes the manuscript under his own name and struggles with the repercussions, while in "real life," Hammond flirts with a young college student named Daniella (Olivia Wilde) at his sophisticated book reading. Despite the film's fluctuating story lines, The Words' plot is addictively intriguing and surprisingly easy to follow. My family doesn't often sit down to watch a movie without a magazine or iPad in hand, but this movie kept us all riveted.

It's also worth noting that we had our eyes glued to the screen in the absence of explosions, sex scenes, or significant amounts of humor. The film's mysterious and captivating plot line—along with simple but genuine characters—were enough to hold our attention.

The story expands when the true author of Jansen's novel (Jeremy Irons, the "Old Man") approaches Jansen and reveals his heart-wrenching account of the loss of his manuscript and family. His tale transports us to Paris during World War II, adding another captivating plot line to the already multi-layered story.

In addition to an elevated storyline, the Old Man's account in the movie adds a deeper visual element to the film. A relatively low-budget, low-key film, The Words clearly made the most of its production site in Montreal, Canada. Shots of present-day New York and 1940s Paris are both believable and idealistic, effortlessly transporting viewers from modern day to war time.

As Bradley Cooper's character becomes a liar of extraordinary proportions, I still found myself rooting for him throughout the film. Jansen's shortcomings raise many stimulating questions about truth and integrity, while his struggle for achievement and creativity makes him highly relatable (especially as a writer).

While the movie held my interest the majority of the time, I felt much less invested in the real-life storyline of author Clay Hammond's and student Daniella. The only thing that kept me interested in the seedy, wealthy author and his adoring fan was the question of how they tied in to Rory Jansen's story.

And that is, perhaps, the great mystery of the film—why does Rory Jansen matter to Clay Hammond, and vice versa?

The pursuit of an answer to this question, along with stimulating questions of integrity and consequence are what make The Words a must-see movie for anyone who desires meaningful conversation at the end of a film. It makes us question our motives and beliefs, and it gives a sympathetic face to the "struggling artist" stigma. Considering I'd never heard of the movie until I rented it, I'd say it's highly underrated.

The Words is an engaging film, and almost feels more like a book on screen. And like a good book, it quickly reins you in and keeps entertaining until the end. The writer/director team of Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal is miles away from their script for the forgettable Tron: Legacy. With The Words they take their time by using their catchy story within a story technique to develop their intriguing characters. The Words may not have the heft compared to other favorites for Best Original Screenplay come this Oscar season, but it is respectable feat for the writer/director duo. Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Limitless) delivers a nice subtle performance as a struggling writer drowning in a sea of desperation. Cooper continues to hack out diverse performances that continue to show his range and win over more fans. He's proving that he is not just Hollywood's latest flavor of the week. The rest of the cast is strong, and headlined by Jeremy Irons (The Man in the Iron Mask, Being Julia) as a broken down old man surprised to see his long lost book on the best-seller list with some young punk's name attached. The Words was dumped into theaters on what is historically known as the worst weekend for movie attendance, and most likely won't garner much of an audience. The film will also have trouble living up to the competition come Oscar season, but it delivers an entertaining and appealing film on the first weekend of fall award season releases.

Two of the biggest main selling points in seeing any film are a great concept and a great cast. 'The Words' has both, have not come across a concept this ambitious and intriguing for any film in a long time and when you have a cast that includes Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid and Jeremy Irons one cannot help expect great things. It sounds like a treat if you are somebody who loves literature, am very much one of those people.

Watching 'The Words', it was an interesting film, well made and mostly well acted with intriguing and heartfelt moments. Part of me felt though that it could and should have been much more, worth watching definitely but very uneven. It is not a waste of potential, as there are things that are done very well and a lot of effort went into it. It is sadly unfortunate that the full potential is nowhere near close to being full lived up to, which is so frustrating and a real shame.

Beginning with the strengths, 'The Words' is a very good-looking film, the photography making for some truly beautiful images and Paris especially of the locations is strikingly captured. The music matches the film's understated tone with a subtle, melancholic edge without tugging at the heart strings too much. Some of the dialogue is truly thought-provoking, with some inspired references, especially that of the Old Man's.

Although the story-within-a-story-within-a-story structure doesn't completely come together, a lot of the inner story elements intrigue and move. The Old Man's, one of the more interesting characters of the film too, past scenes make for the most engrossing story and the one that had my attention the whole time. The acting mostly very good, the acting honours going to Jeremy Irons in a very touching and suitably enigmatic performance as The Old Man. Ben Barnes touches the heart too, while Bradley Cooper tones down the intensity that can be seen in other performances of his and the subtlety is effective. Zoe Saldana is much more than just decoration, there is not a lot to her role but she makes the most of it and does it with charm.

Sadly, 'The Words' is dragged down badly by the "real life" story, to the extent that it nearly but not completely ruins the film. It was very tedious, with more questions than answers, nothing investable and an aimless pace. The romance is full of cheesy dialogue and doesn't really go anywhere, the chemistry more unintentionally creepy than charming. Found Dennis Quaid's performance too underplayed to the point of phoning in and Olivia Wilde's performance and character were just bizarre.

Letting 'The Words' down significantly too was the ending, which was little more than an incomplete damp-squib. Ambiguity can work, but this attempt at it felt less like ambiguity, this actually felt like an ending started being written, then the writer got distracted and completely forgot about concluding it. Despite the whole literary concept, the film tends to over-explain or things are spoken when they could easily have been shown. A lot of effort went into 'The Words', but it did feel like it tried too hard.

In conclusion, interesting and has a fair share of good things, such as the production values, most of the acting and one particular story strand, but very frustrating with one story and the ending spoiling things badly. 6/10

The Words draws you in with its beautiful cinematography and engaged dialog. I was especially impressed with the layers of the presentation. Most films these days will spoon feed you a flat story and leave no room for personal interpretation. The Words layers a complex open-ended plot that demands viewer involvement. I was surprised with the simple surface story presented as each deeper layer was uncovered. Sometimes it came as a subtle hint when other times it hits you straight in the face. The film has the flavor of Memento or Inception; which is refreshing these days. Bradley Cooper surpassed my expectations. I never once saw his type-cast Hangover/Limitless ticks or mannerisms. He was completely in touch with the character and never fell back on default techniques.

Absent of cheesy one liners, cgi explosions and presumably never ending car chases it was not surprising to see the lack of respect this movie has received. It is telling of our culture to pass by a story, full of such raw, human, emotion, with dis-contempt and frailty.

'The Words' is a movie about life, mistakes and the pain we can all feel inside, and it is this ability to relate that makes it so powerful. It gives me hope, along with a select other few, that cinematic story telling has not simply been reduced to the next ex-cia to shoot up the town, or romantic comedy with the same stale happily ever after ending.

It is real, and comes with the all of the uncertainty and heartbreak of life.

This movie's a clever and entertaining yarn that gets to bear close scrutiny. There's a compelling performance by Jeremy Irons as a fictional writer and a good one(though not excellent) by Bradley Coooper. As in a lot of Hollywood movies set in the world of letters, the connection to the real world of authors and publishers feels weak however, as regards the subject of plagiarism, the movie is portentously effective in handling themes like theft, identity, fiction and reality. One of the many questions it conjures is whether the screenplay is a deliberate attempt to illustrate Clay's mediocrity. The storytelling itself is more interesting than the plot and the finale leaves a little to be desired but on the whole it works.

I am not sure what Hollywood considers a good movie but I know this is an excellent film. The story is told with such elegance and fluidity that it is a joy to watch. I am buying this movie for my personal collection to make sure that I watch a film, from time to time, that reminds me of art in its highest form. The actors are brilliant, the direction is genius, photography is captivating and the scriptwriting is unparalleled. I completely loved this movie.

Though it was not a blockbuster hit bringing in hundreds of millions, it did earn back its original investment costs and nearly that figure again.

Just when you think you know how it's going to go - the movie bends then twists into another path. Just brilliant!!!

Some good acting from Zoe Saldana and Nora and Ben as the younger couple but the movie just tries too hard to be enigmatic and sadly fails to deliver leaving you feeling unsatisfied by the ending. Everything is given away in the movie at the beginning get lays out like it's a mystery and in the end just patronizes its audience, very bland, can't recommend. I feel like this was a passion project and the actors were intrigued in their own stories but no one bothered reading the whole script, it's just a mess, very inconsistent and so doesn't flow. Olivia Wilde's character stands out as the most annoying.

This film is about a young struggling writer who makes it big with a manuscript that he did not write.

"The Words" tells the tale of a struggling writer who has to face moral choices after stealing a manuscript. Bradley Cooper carries the role well, and he portrays the internal struggle very well. It is a welcomed change that Bradley Cooper portrays a serious and emotionally tormented role. The scene of his attempt to rectify things in the greenhouse is haunting. Zoe Saldana shines as well as the supportive wife, her plethora of emotions is so natural and convincing. They make a good on screen couple. The Bradley Cooper subplot is quite predictable, but the connection between Bradley Cooper and Dennis Quaid is not immediately apparent. This extra layer gives "The Words" more depth. I think "The Words" has many fine performances, and deserves to be seen.

At the end I simply wanted more of an explanation. I wanted some closure that would have connected the brilliance of the old man's novel which could have ultimately directly affected me.

Perhaps, have me question my life more in depth, or even give an unorthodox inspiration for me (& viewers) to write such a great work of fiction (in the perpetual process).

I think to a certain extent we all pass through from what's real and fiction. The Words was a good story illustrating that… I just hated how predictable the ending was in comparison to what at times were masterful scenes and story telling coming together so beautifully.

When I saw the trailer for The Words, it definitely sparked my interest. I wasn't all that excited about the cast, however. The stars—Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, and Zoe Saldana—are not exactly my favorite actors. But this dramatic film surprised me in more ways than one.

The story is basically a story within a story—kind of like Inception. The main plot line follows Rory Jansen, a young man struggling to find himself as a writer—that is, until he finds a story he didn't write and gets it published. That story comes from an older man who was stationed in Paris during WWII. And who's telling the story about what happened to Rory when he meets the old man he stole the story from? None other than Dennis Quaid, who is also portrayed as a writer in the film.

I will say that I thought Rory's struggle to find himself as a writer was portrayed pretty well through the screen writing and by Cooper's acting. There's something very relatable about a person not knowing if he is who he wants to be. I could relate to his struggle as a writer, being a wanna-be writer myself, but I thought there was something more universal to the theme—don't we all get lost sometimes? I'm sure there's a time in everyone's life where we all lose sight of who we are, or who we want to be. This is a major theme presented in The Words, which is a big part of why I could relate to the film.

I applaud the makeup artist for Rory's character. There's a particular scene in which Rory was up in the middle of the night trying to write. Rory looked more like a person who might have been sitting next to me in the theater and less like an actor—you could see his pimples and his reddening eyes. It wasn't like in other scenes, or other films, in which the actor has flawless skin and a seemingly perfect complexion. I think Rory's lack of makeup during this scene made him seem more life-like. And I think the fact that he looked like the average human while he was writing symbolized that the only time Rory was truly himself was when he was writing, when he was at home with the words—which, I think, is a huge part of this film.

The ending, without giving anything away, is very ambiguous, to say the least. In my opinion, I do think this kind of story calls for an ending like this, no matter how annoying it may be to some viewers.

As previously mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of the stars in this film. But their performances in The Words proved to me that they can act. Since I'm so used to seeing Bradley Cooper in comedy films, I was skeptical as to whether or not he could pull off the part of a serious writer. But he did, and he did it well. I was also impressed with Dennis Quaid's performance as Clay. In my writing classes, I've always been told, "Show, don't tell." I think, perhaps, some films call for the same kind of acting. Toward the end of the film, Quaid expresses great struggle through his acting. The viewer can tell what he's wrestling with—and not because he told us in dialogue, but because he showed us with his facial expressions and emotions.

I must mention Ben Barnes who played the role of the young version of the old man. I don't think Barnes is a very well-known actor (yet), but I can see him emerging as the next Joseph Gordon Levitt (the British version) if he gets a few more major films under his belt. I thought his emotional expression was very raw and unhinged. Barnes can really let loose if he needs to, and I think that's what his role called for at times. All that to say, I was very impressed with this actor whom I haven't seen much of before.

There are TONS of Hemingway references in this film. And this probably just comes down to personal taste, but I couldn't stand it. I strongly dislike Hemingway so I cringed any time I saw something in this film that had anything to do with the man.

The old man who Rory stole the story from was unnamed! I just recently read a young adult novel in which the narrator was unnamed. This frustrates me. If a character is vital to the story, I want to know his or her name! There's a character named Daniella in the film whom I strongly disliked—not just because of her personality but because her character was very stagnant. I felt like the only point to her character was to draw out the plot line from another character—Clay, who narrated part of the story. And yes, the plot line is obviously important, but I felt like the writers could have done something more with Daniella's character so that it wouldn't feel like she was awkward and useless.

I would recommend The Words to anyone who wants to be a writer—there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this film. Also, if you're a fan of multiple story lines in one film—kind of like Inception—you would probably enjoy The Words.

This movie far surpassed my expectations. I had been holding off watching it as I thought it was a movie you had to be in the right mood to watch but it actually turned out to be a uniquely engaging film. Everything was beautifully done from the screenplay to the cast performances and the overall product of the film.

There were moments this movie brought a tear to my eye and genuinely drew my attention in. It was a such a lovely idea that I am extremely happy I took the time to watch it. I never had that much patience for Bradley Cooper as an actor but he was excellent and it changed my opinion of him.

A truly great film that is not as it first seems.

The plot of the movie is not about writing, that is only a nice background to make us feel connected to the characters. The real issue discussed is how we deal with the consequences of our actions. I really don't think what the lead was much of a deal, but he did. Others felt that even more - see Saldana's character (is it me or all her roles lately are self obsessed bitchy women?).

Anyway, just look at the cast and you will see that this film is worth seeing. The film is well done and it makes you feel things, which is, after all, the most important measure of success for a work of art. However the ending is kind of weak. It is not, as Quaid's characters says, about redemption, a moral of a story or something like that. Instead it is leaving the thinking to the viewer. However the emotions of the characters in the end feel theatrical and spoil the rest a bit, which is great.

My conclusion is that you should watch this film, but not expect too much. An interesting idea, well done with good actors that play great.

This is such an under-rated movie and it is so sad that it will not be seen by more people.

Bradley Cooper has a great career ahead as a producer, he was very smart to make this project. The four generations of great actors were so well- chosen, each one the sexiest man alive I'm sure at one time or another. For me it was Dennis Quaid, and I saw more of the old Dennis Quaid in this movie than in a very long time. Bradley Cooper is the third generation actor in this piece and he really shows his acting chops. He's not just a pretty face! The pretty face is now Ben Barnes and what a great face it is. He is perfect as the young 'old man' in Paris after the war.

I almost never like stories within a story, now do I like stories about authors or actors, they always seem so navel-gazing, but this movie trumps all of those problems in such an amazing excellent way.

Watch this movie, you won't be sorry.

***SPOILERS*** What is a story within a story movie about a struggling writer Rory Jansen, Bradley Cooper, who comes up with a best seller that he found in a battered suitcase in a Paris gift shop while on his honeymoon with his wife Dora,Zoe Saldana. It's when Rory gets the book, "Window Tears", published and it becomes a best seller that his troubles starts. It turns out that the parson who in fact did write the story only known as "the Old Man", Jeremy Irons, comes out of hiding, for the last 50 or so years, and makes life a living hell for him. In that he not Jeremy wrote the book that was based on his life.

What's so surprising about all this is that it's told by writer Clay Hammond, Dennis Quaid, who we suspect is really using another name in "his" book of being Rory Jensen! The confusion goes on until the final minutes of the movie as Hammond tells his story about the life and times of Rory Jenson to a girl that he just met Daniella, Olivia Wlde, who's soon to realize his secret identity of Rory Jansen! As for the "Old Man" he's completely out of it throughout the entire film in his greenhouse where by growing plants and flowers as he tries to forget his past that Rory or better yet Hammoond dug up with the book that he wrote!

Strang confusing but interesting movie that leaves you hanging in the end to just what the hell is going on in it about love found love lost and finally love forgotten in the case of the "Old Man" who now becomes the main obsession in Rory or Hammond's life. A life filled with lies and make believe that brings him to the conclusion that he's not the great writer that he and the literary world thinks he is. It's when the "Old Man" who's heart couldn't take it, the book that he wrote that was stolen right from under his nose, anymore and suddenly died that both Hammond, or the fictitious Rory Jansen, finally got his act together and continued his life as the great American writer that he knows in his heart of hearts that he isn't. Like the "Old Man" who's life by them was completely destroyed wanted him to.