The September 2019 Movie Review
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
This film was justifiably nominated for the Oscar in several categories and won the Golden Globe. Melissa McCarthy, in a heartfelt and acerbic performance, plays Lee Isreal, a one-time best-selling biographer down on her luck who stumbles on how to earn income to keep her New York City apartment and treat her beloved sick cat after she loses her job. (BTW, I’ve seen the NYC apartments of successful employed people; in the film, Isreal has a nice apartment.)
But story starts out following her humiliation, all too real, as a failed writer.
She goes to a posh party held at her literary agent’s very fancy apartment, overhears a successful author pontificating to a crowd of admirers, helps herself to the deluxe food, and steals a coat from the cloakroom.
Later, she goes to the agent’s very fancy office and pleads for a $10,000 spec sale of a new biography she’s researching. She says in a strangled voice, “I mean, I was on the New York Times Bestseller list once. Doesn’t that count for something?”
The literary agent replies, “I can’t get ten dollars for you.”
Ouch. Meanwhile, she owes the veterinarian money, so he won’t see her sick cat, let alone prescribe needed medicine.
Melissa McCarthy isn’t afraid of appearing fat and ugly. And desperate.
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