Without an ample marketing budget, indie movies often lack a worthy trailer. My heart hurt a little earlier this year when a friend told me the taut, micro-budget “Thoroughbreds” looked bad—but, then again, based on the trailer, it kind of did. Millions will see—and anticipate—the marketing for the next “Avengers” film, and, thus, millions of dollars (and maybe even some actual craft) will go into cutting that preview.
But equal resources will never be channeled into selling a movie like “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” another tiny movie with a not-so-good trailer. In this case, the preview a) spoils most of the story, b) over-dramatizes the proceedings and c) kind of makes this movie look like just another Melissa McCarthy comedy.
Of which there are many that wildly diverge in quality. For every “Bridesmaids,” there’s a “Tammy.” “The Heat” is great, “Spy” is maybe not. The “Ghostbusters” reboot wasn’t the smash a lot of people wanted it to be (myself included)—but the cast wasn’t the problem. Yet with “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” McCarthy spreads her wings and takes on a serious, dramatic role—to exclusively positive results.
Set in the mid-80s, McCarthy disappears into Lee Israel, a middle-aged biographer gone broke. Israel’s a textbook misanthrope who can’t get her writing published anymore—apparently there’s just not much of a market for biographies of forgotten vaudeville queens. In order to make ends meet, Israel turns to forging letters from prominent literary figures. Now, McCarthy’s charisma has never been in question, but so often she’s cast as totally over-the-top characters. However, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” gives McCarthy a role that requires some restraint, which leads to a perfect middle ground. Israel’s general hatred of other people could read as ugly and alienating but, in McCarthy’s hands, she’s not just sympathetic, but endearing.
It’s a turn that recalls Jim Carrey’s work in the late ’90s/early 2000s: Carrey built his career on high energy performances in “Ace Ventura” and “Dumb and Dumber,” then pivoted into much more interesting territory with “The Truman Show” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” It seems that Melissa McCarthy is yet another talented comedic actor in danger of being typecast when her real range is much wider.
Helping matters is her undeniable chemistry with Richard E. Grant’s Jack Hock, a transient thief and occasional drug dealer. In Hock, Israel finds her first genuine connection in years; Grant and McCarthy are magnetic on screen together. Furthermore, both Israel and Hock are queer, but the film remains tasteful throughout—thankfully never painting their sexualities in any kind of insincere or comedic light.
From a technical perspective, director Marielle Heller gives the film a palpable sense of atmosphere, full of deep browns and a period-authentic color palette. This just might be the best bookstore movie I’ve ever seen: Israel “schleps” to book-buyers all over Manhattan, each with their own distinct feel. The score, meanwhile, is oddly brilliant, a fully conceived and distinct musical backing for everything on screen. Written by up-and-coming composer Nate Heller, I certainly wasn’t expecting to notice—let alone love—the sound here.
At an hour and 45 minutes, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” never comes close to overstaying its welcome and concludes on a satisfying note. Honestly, I really can’t say I have any problems with this little movie, which accomplishes everything it’s trying to do. McCarthy does great work, and I hope she’s recognized for her work here. I highly recommend this movie—don’t let the bad trailer fool you.
