The Words

The Words is a story about a young writer (Bradley Cooper) who’s struggling to make a living, paying his dues and supporting his sweetheart (Zoe Saldana). His career seems to be going nowhere when he finds a manuscript in an antique satchel and publishes it as his own. “It was supposed to be a small book,” he says, but it becomes a monster success and springboards his career. He’s able to stifle his guilt until an elderly man (Jeremy Irons) appears to him, claiming to be the original writer.

ClearPlay In Action!

There is some sensuality in the PG-13 The Words that is edited by ClearPlay, but most of the cutting comes with infrequent language – about 25 instances – including one F-word. The ClearPlayed version is fine for audiences who might find a story about a writer’s struggles intriguing (say, mature teens and older).

What’s the good Word on this movie?...

Unfortunately, I don’t have many. The storytelling is convoluted: We hear a story within a story, in which another story is told, all framed within a “reading” that a different author (Dennis Quaid) is conveying. All those levels of narration put a barrier between the viewer and any reason to care. The production values are top-notch, and the period detail is lush, but without sympathetic characters, it feels like a long exercise in non-linear narrative.

Marty Nabhan - ClearPlay Scribe

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and smoking; 97 min; Directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal