The Complexity of the Human Experience: A Film Review of “Can You Ever Forgive Me”

Most art films in the modern era inevitably fall flat in some way or another; perhaps unable to compete with the budget of multi-million dollar films, or rather taking itself too seriously for most audiences. That being said, a film’s apparent popularity should not be the distinguishing factor in a movie’s full perception. In many cases a film could be very well put-together yet in some kind of tragedy, it fails to reach the many audiences that other comparative pictures do.

The latter would be the category that “Can You Ever Forgive Me” directed by Marielle Heller falls in to. Although still being shown in theatres, this film is remarkable in its own sense. Although not perfect, “Can You Ever Forgive Me” serves as a pinnacle for the modern artistic film. This biographical movie uses elegance and grace in each and every scene and notion; tackling tough themes and depicting a significant and real human story. The themes it portrays are complex and confusing and deeply personal to some viewers which in and of itself is representative of human life as a whole.

The narrative of the film regards the life and times of Lee Israel as she uses her own collection of typewriters to forge legal documents. In addition, there are also components of character-driven and raw scenes which contradicts some of the lighter parts at play in this movie. Lee undergoes a journey of self-discovery although to say that would illustrate it as cheezy and shallow. And yet, the story is what pushes these themes of humanity into focus.

“Can You Ever Forgive Me” deals with extensively complex concepts. There are ideas portrayed about love and trust, as well as identity. At the same time, there are components of addiction and integrity at play. As the character discovers more and more, these ideas come out of focus to the point where they are all wrapped together into a smooth and opaque depiction of humanity as a whole. In this picture, these concepts that are so usually taken in isolation are blended together, incorporating it all into a jumble of ideas which simply can not be taken at surface level. The film uses a variety of tools to achieve this purpose – stellar acting, polarizing plot, and a beautiful soundtrack. These come together for almost a symbolic representation of our society.

The lead role of Israel played by Melissa McCarthy is such a demanding position. When played perfectly this distinct mix of emotion and character should be difficult to portray, and yet, at the same time, it may be like becoming a different human in its entirety. In the context of the film’s message and purpose, the acting is a guideline; the most important thing is the humanity and realism behind the characters. Richard E. Grant who plays Jack Hock performs very well, really embracing the meaning behind the character. This all together creates a much fuller and more developed image. Without the complexity of character the movie simply would be unable to embellish the complexity of mankind.

The plot of the story is very interesting of course, as well it should be, and yet at the same time, the actual narrative of the film provides the viewer with an additional supplement to contribute to the meaning which is the complexity of man. The plot is simple. It could very easily be shown in a number of ways that have the same basic ideas behind them. However, the plot that they have in the picture carries the themes of the text in a way that other plots would not be able to do. In this version, the moments of clarity are balanced with the moments of obstruction and to this point there is contrast. This is the exact purpose of the film. The movie is not about doctoring legal documents but it is far more about the human behind it. This is why it is a biographical piece, historically accurate because the point of it is not to tell a story it is to tell THE story and to show a more realistic depiction of man than other movies may be able to.

Finally, I would not be doing justice to the movie without making mention of the fantastic soundtrack. “Can You Ever Forgive Me” has a constant mood that it creates through its use of jazz tunes. These are representative of the themes of identity that are played throughout the film as well as creating a melancholic atmosphere that vibes with the complexity of the other components.

All in all, the film “Can You Ever Forgive Me” is a wonderful reflection of the very human journey. It highlights the complexity of human nature displays the struggle of man in a gorgeous and metaphysical manner.