Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

I like Melissa McCarthy but saying that her latest films have been nothing but disappointments is an understatement. So when Can You Ever Forgive Me? started to get praised for McCarthy's performance —and Richard E. Grant—, I knew I had to give it a chance. 

The film tells the true story of Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy), an author struggling with financial troubles, writer's block and alcoholism. When her cat gets sick and she doesn't have any money for veterinarian care, Israel is forced to sell her possessions, which includes a personal letter Katharine Hepburn wrote to her. When Israel realises how much money she could make with this kind of memorabilia, she begins to forge letters typed up and signed by famous people. 

Based on Israel's memoir, the plot is rather intriguing —it probably isn't if you've seen the trailer as I've heard they spoil everything in there— and, although unevenly —I found the first part to be way more compelling than the second and I almost lost my interest—, it keeps you engaged throughout. 

The most compelling aspect of Can You Ever Forgive Me? easily is the characters and, especially, the performances that come with them. Lee Israel is a very unpleasant woman, she never asks us for any sympathy. A down-on-her-luck writer with a caustic wit and a misaligned moral compass. And yet she is interesting, compelling as Melissa McCarthy gives a stunning performance that turns an odious character into a vulnerable human being with demons to fight, like most of us. McCarthy delivers dry humour and the sadness of this lonely woman who isolated herself from the world. Richard E. Grant also gives a terrific performance and often steals the show from McCarthy. With a character that doesn't have the depth and development of the lead, Grant still manages to leave a mark with his charisma and the wonderful on-screen chemistry he has with McCarthy, which makes the friendship between Israel and her partner in crime, Grant's Jack Hock, very genuine and believable. 

Fox Searchlight Picture

I was not particularly fond of Marielle Heller's direction though. The pacing and tone of the film don't always feel right, and she doesn't seem to care much about Israel as she never tries to make the character more sympathetic. She does a nice job at capturing the shabbiness of 1990s New York, and the music quite fits the film.