Review of The Words (2012) by Alex B — 10 Sep 2012

Move over "The Notebook," there's a new love story in town, and it's not all pretty faces, butterflies and happy endings. "The Words," written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, takes a gritty, more realistic approach towards relationships and bypasses the fictitious fairytale altogether. The harsh reality of consequences based on actions is perfectly illustrated through the story, and the tremendous acting talent that presents this tear jerking sequence of events truly deserves recognition.

Bradley Cooper, who in just over a decade has quickly risen to become one of Hollywood's leading male actors, steps into one of the most emotionally demanding roles he has ever faced. In the film we see him as a young writer struggling with getting his work published. After countless rejections, a golden opportunity presents itself that is more enticing than he can resist; and far more detrimental than he could have imagined. The stunning Zoe Saldana opposites Cooper as his wife and moral compass and is perfectly paired with him for the role.

Jeremy Irons is the Old Man who confronts Cooper with the secret only they know and the threatening truth that could turn his world upside-down. Irons continues to amaze the audience with his fine tuned skills as an actor. His level of commitment to his craft is clearly evident here as his calm, British exterior reveals little of the boiling passion confined inside until the precise moment he chooses to release it. Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde match up on screen nicely in an unconventional teacher/student/admirer relationship that quickly turns into a sexually charged affair. There are also a few recognizable cameos from J.K. Simmons, John Hannah and Zeljko Ivanek that suitably fit this script.

The writer/director team of Klugman and Sternthal began in 2010 when they wrote "TRON: Legacy" together and you can definitely see a major improvement in their writing skills here. "The Words" may not be the most enlightening romantic drama of its time, but what it lacks in the feel good department is made up for in the raw, authentic truth it delivers. Oddly enough, the film isn't doing so well in theaters. Its poor showings at the box office can only be attributed to a major misunderstanding by the critics and the lack of enthusiasm they're showing for it. Regardless of what the overall compensated consensus says, this is a good film worth the price of admission and the sit down time to experience it.