Melissa McCarthy has been on the scene for awhile, but she's never been as good as she is in Can You Ever Forgive Me? Known mostly for her wacky, brash comedy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, or almost every other film she made since Bridesmaids) or quirky bubble headed characters (Gilmore Girls). This time, she plays a character so real, so flawed, so salt of the earth, and so deeply human that I have a newfound respect for her as a performer.
That said, Can You Ever Forgive Me? isn't without humor. This story is told with a little more sass than you'd expect from the trailers. A New York writer, Lee Israel (McCarthy) has fallen on hard times and she's desperate for money. Since no one will publish her latest idea for a biography (on Fanny Brice), she turns to selling counterfeit literally documents by well known authors as a way to make ends meet. She enlists the help of fellow bar fly (Richard E. Grant) to help her and they both end up getting way over their heads.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? captures the atmosphere of early 90's New York perfectly and every exchange and mannerism feels painfully real. Nothing feels overwritten or clever for the sake of being clever. McCarthy and Grant have excellent chemistry and keep the film rolling along with aplomb and make it a must see.
That said, Can You Ever Forgive Me? isn't without humor. This story is told with a little more sass than you'd expect from the trailers. A New York writer, Lee Israel (McCarthy) has fallen on hard times and she's desperate for money. Since no one will publish her latest idea for a biography (on Fanny Brice), she turns to selling counterfeit literally documents by well known authors as a way to make ends meet. She enlists the help of fellow bar fly (Richard E. Grant) to help her and they both end up getting way over their heads.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? captures the atmosphere of early 90's New York perfectly and every exchange and mannerism feels painfully real. Nothing feels overwritten or clever for the sake of being clever. McCarthy and Grant have excellent chemistry and keep the film rolling along with aplomb and make it a must see.