By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.2 cats
Director: Marielle Heller
Starring: Anna Deveare Smith | Ben Falcone | Dolly Wells | Erik LaRay Harvey | Jane Curtin | Melissa McCarthy | Pun Bandhu | Richard E. Grant
Country: united_states
Year: 2018
Running time: 106
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4595882/reference
Chris says: “It’s not so much that Melissa McCarthy is a revelation here as that she finally has a role that allows her to be more than just silly or weird (although she’s occasionally those things too.) The real-life story of Lee Israel, a struggling, middle-aged, alcoholic writer who fell into a brief stint as a literary forger, should be something that works better on page than screen, but director Marielle Heller (THE DIARYOF A TEENAGE GIRL) translates Israel’s own memoir as if it were a living, breathing, sincere re-creation of Manhattan in the early ’90s (credit the astute adaptation, co-written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty). Israel and her cohort-in-crime, aging hustler Jack Hock (a perfectly cast Richard E. Grant) are despicable, unapologetic misanthropists, yet they feel so well-drawn that you’re almost compelled to root for them anyway. 4 cats”
Thom says: “Heller was responsible for the excellent THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (2015) so this film shouldn’t have been much of a surprise but I’m not a huge Melissa McCarthy fan and while the thought of her going straight interested me the excellent review from a friend living in Costa Rica was the deciding factor. McCarthy plays Lee Israel, a biographer of note, having written such profiles on Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Dorothy Kilgallen, & Estee Lauder. But here she’s fallen on hard times and really has troubles making ends meet, plus she’s a terrible alcoholic. She starts forging letters from famous people that she sells off to the highest bidder. At one point she even resorts to theft. Along for the ride is a middle-aged, sexaholic, gay man who’s somewhat charming and also an alcoholic, and, no, they don’t both end up in AA. She eventually runs into terrible trouble with the law, jail, debts, and death of a loved one due to neglect. I first discovered McCarthy as a regular on 2000-2007 television hit GILMORE GIRLS as Sookie St. James, the chubby, cook, sidekick of star Lauren Graham’s kookie Lorelai Gilmore and her wacky daughter Rory. GILMORE GIRLS also launched the considerable careers of Alexis Bledel, Milo Ventimiglia, Liza Weil, Matt Czuchry, Jared Padalecki, & Adam Brody, but no one would have predicted that it was McCarthy that would turn into the big A-List star she is. Still, she’s known for her considerable comic talents and the character she draws up here is bitter, unlikeable, yet somehow sympathetic figure that is absolute total top-of-the-line acting. And Richard E. Grant as the boozy Jack Hock is divinely inspired here and fits like hand-in-glove with the soon to be Oscar-nominated McCarthy. The story could do with some fleshy additions, but the steady style is admirable. 4.5 cats”
Michael says: “I never caught this Melissa McCarthy-led biopic of little-known author Lee Israel even after it won a couple of Chlotrudis Award. I’d always heard good things about it, but never made time for it. Finally caught up with it, and agree, it’s a strong film with a clever and playful screenplay, assured directing, and strong acting. Lee Israel is an author who attained some acclaim by writing some biographies, but who has fallen on hard times. She doesn’t have enough money to pay her rent or take her cat to the vet; her agent invites her to soirees only because she knows that Lee won’t attend, and her caustic personality doesn’t serve her well in finding work. In desperation, she tries to sell a typewritten letter written and signed by Noel Coward to a rare book dealer, but is told that although this type of things sells, the letter is rather bland, and if the content had been a little more interesting, she would have purchased it. Lightbulbs go off in Lee’s head, and she embellishes the letter with her own additions, and tries again, this time with success. Lee has round her source of income and she begins an elaborate scam selling enhance correspondence by folks like Coward, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Parker and others to collectors across the city. She enlists her down-on-his luck drinking buddy Jack to help and for a time, things are going great. But as one might imagine, it’s only a matter of time when this type of activity is noticed, and Lee finds herself the subject of an investigation that leads to everything falling apart.
“Everything comes together well in this film. The screenplay, which won the Trudy for Best Original Screenplay, is tight, funny, and illuminating without ever being false or cloying. As it was co-written by Nicole Holofcener (WALKING & TALKING, LOVELY & AMAZING, and many more) I’m not surprised. Heller hits a somber, yet cynical tone for the film which matches the subject matter and her main character perfectly. Also picking up a Chlotrudis Award, this time for Best Supporting Actor, was Richard E. Grant who played the irascible addict Jack Hock. His performance is showy, yet sad, and just the kind of things that usually gets attention. And while he was great, I found Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Lee Israel far more measured and nuanced. All in all, and entertaining film that is worth 4 cats.”