The Words

Typically, I say "last night" I saw thus and so and describe what I saw, but tonight I am writing my review just after viewing the movie because I am off to Seattle in the morning. Tonight I saw a very good movie entitled The Words. It stars  Dennis Quaid, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, and the most excellent, Jeremy Irons. 

The film's structure is interesting in that there is a story within a story and yet another story within. The film begins in the present with the acclaim of lauded author Clay Hammond (Quaid), who is reading excerpts of his latest book The Words to a receptive audience.

We are then taken into the world of Hammond's fictional character, a struggling writer named Rory (Cooper) who is eager to make his mark. His wife Dora (Saldana) believes in him even though Rory is infected by self-doubt. It is on their honeymoon when Dora buys Rory an old briefcase, that fate plays its hand. When Rory finds the anonymous manuscript hidden in the briefcase, he devours the words of the story, wishing that he had written them himself. It starts innocently enough--he wants his fingers to feel the impact of the words as he retypes them.... The essence of the story, set in war-time Paris resonates to such an extent, he accepts a deal with the devil - and claims it as his own work.

I will say no more other than you should see this extremely well done movie.