CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

For most of her career, Melissa McCarthy has become known for her comedic roles in films such as Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy, Identity Thief and the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters remake. In her latest role, she makes the transition from comedy to drama and proves that she's capable of handling dramatic and serious roles. 

Lee Israel (McCarthy) made her living in the 1970's and 80's profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). An adaptation of the memoir, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, relays the true story of the best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats).

I think that a lot of people will be surprised by McCarthy's performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? as they're so used to seeing her in comedies and giving over-the-top performances. As Israel, she [plays the role mostly straight and it doesn't take us too long to forget that we're watching McCarthy. Grant gives a solid supporting role as her friend, Hock, and, because he's only mentioned briefly in Israel's memoir, it proved to be a challenge, nevertheless, Grant succeeds and makes Hock a charming character who brings humour. Both actors are currently nominated at the Academy Award and they are, without a doubt, the strongest aspect of Can You Ever Forgive Me?.

In the beginning of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, we see Israel struggling with paying rent and treatment for her sick cat. Her biographies aren't selling well so she takes desperate measures and sells a personal letter she received from Hepburn. While conducting research for a novel about Fanny Brice, Israel finds a letter from Brice in a book and she sells it to a book dealer who says that she would've given Israel more if it had interesting content in. This leads to Israel forging and selling letters by deceased writers, playwrights, and actors, lacing them with intimate details to command a higher price. She succeeds and begins making the most money she's made in a while but things take a sour turn when the book dealers become suspicious. Despite committing a crime, Can You Ever Forgive Me? doesn't portray Israel in a negative light as she was desperate to make money. We understand why Israel did 

Because Can You Ever Forgive Me? is set in the early 1990s, I wasn't aware of who Israel was, however, I found her story to be very interesting. Prior to watching it, I didn't know what to expect, fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised and found Can You Ever Forgive Me? to be a compelling and unpredictable watch. McCarthy's on-screen chemistry with Grant is a big highlight as it's essentially a two-character piece, with 50% of the dialogue being between their characters. Unfortunately, their friendship meets a bitter end when Hock stays in her apartment to look after her cat whilst she travels to a library to steal authentic letters and replace them with fake ones. When Israel returns home, she is shocked to discover that Hock has failed to look after her cat and ends their friendship. The scene where Israel discovers her dead cat is a heartbreaking scene as we know how much she cared for it. It also changed how we perceived Hock as he went from charming and funny to breaking Israel's trust. Although Israel is furious at Hock, she continues their partnership out of necessity. 

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is directed by Marielle Heller, whose previous feature was The Diary of a Teenage Girl, an indie drama starring Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård. She makes New York City into an intimate place and manages the challenging task of exploring the subject of writing, which isn't an inherently cinematic thing, without boring her audience. With a runtime of 107 minutes, the film moves at a brisk pace and doesn't drag, which is a problem with a lot of biopics that run at over two hours. Israel's story is one that can be told effectively in under two hours. 

Can You Ever Forgive Me? succeeds mainly because of Melissa McCarthy, who, after a career of starring in comedies, gives her most impressive performance yet. The entire film is worth watching just for her portrayal of Lee Israel and her on-screen chemistry with Richard E. Grant is a highlight of the film.

8/10