ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

lee israel

Movie of the Week Reviews 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 19, 2018: CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Jennifer Merin 0 Comments , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Melissa McCarthy trades pratfalls and slapstick for wry wit and introspection in Marielle Heller’s keenly observed biopic “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” McCarthy plays biographer Lee Israel, whose brief time in the Manhattan publishing scene’s spotlight has passed, leaving her bitter, lonely, and strapped for cash, which ultimately leads to a life of literary crime. It’s a compelling role for McCarthy, who seems to relish the opportunity to take on more serious material.

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CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? — Review by Cate Marquis

Cate Marquis 0 Comments , , ,

Melissa McCarthy gives a commanding performance in a rare dramatic role based on the true story of Lee Israel, a one-time New York Times bestselling biographer in the ’70s and ’80s, who has fallen on hard times and turns to a life of crime as a forger of letters from literary greats such as Noel Coward and Dorothy Parker.

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CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? – Review by Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna 0 Comments , , , , ,

The arrival of Can You Ever Forgive Me? is more than enough evidence that McCarthy is the real deal as she closes off her usual buoyant avenues of emoting for a darker, morose and complex persona – one paved in frustration and failed opportunity that is uniquely female in nature. Her usual brassy bravado is tucked away beneath a frumpy veneer of bitterness, disappointment and deeply seated resentment over anyone else’s success.

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CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? – Review by Anne Brodie

Anne Brodie 0 Comments , , , , ,

Melissa McCarthy’s extraordinary performance as Lee Israel, the literary swindler and forger, is inspired, complete and unforgettable. Her portrayal of the Hollywood biographer turned criminal is touched with genius. She’s not sympathetic and she certainly doesn’t become sympathetic, but McCarthy’s touching hardass earns our attention as a wounded person with no idea how to reign herself in.

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