Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

2018 Films, Film Reviews

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Kyle A. Goethe

January 4, 2019

2–3 minutes

Director: Marielle Heller

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells

Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty

106 mins. Rated R for language including some sexual references, and brief drug use.

Ben Falcone, the husband of Melissa McCarthy (The Heat, Life of the Party), does not direct great films with his wife. His efforts have included Tammy and The Boss. That being said, he’s responsible for getting McCarthy locked for the film we are talking about today. For that, I’ll let him take a win.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is the true story of Lee Israel (McCarthy), a one-time writer who has fallen on hard times. She can’t afford to pay rent, she can’t afford to pay her cat’s medical bills, she can barely afford to drink, but when Lee strikes up a friendship with Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant, Gosford Park, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms) and turns to embellishing literary letters, things start improving for Lee. Soon, though, she finds her lies building up as she gets closer and closer to being caught.

Director Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) seems to excel with character as she pulls such an interesting friendship out of Lee and Jack, aided of course by two career-best performances from McCarthy and Grant. Seriously, as great as the set design, pacing, and writing are, none of it matches the level of acting displayed by these two actors.

I really enjoyed how swiftly the film moves. I didn’t feel for a second like looking at my phone. I just sat along for the ride and enjoyed it as it went. Part of that goes to the tight edit of the finished film, and part of it goes to the great writing from Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty.

I think where Heller’s direction and the screenplay come together is their portrayal of Israel. She is not seen as a deviant or a criminal. She is seen as a human being struggling to keep up with a world seemingly hell-bent on keeping her down. She is struggling in a way I can connect with and empathize with. It’s a tricky task but one that Heller and McCarthy knock out of the park.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is an incredible character study that connected me to people I understand and want to succeed, even when they commit crimes and perform shady acts to get there. The film is tied to two central characters and their friendship, and it’s there where it flourishes.

4.5/5

-Kyle A. Goethe

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6 responses to “Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)”

The Nominees for the 91st Academy Awards – GOAT Film Reviews

January 23, 2019 at 11:34 pm

[…] Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? […]

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June 29, 2019 at 7:30 am

[…] rut of bad adult comedies, but one need only look at performances in Bridesmaids, St. Vincent, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? to see some of her more impressive […]

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[Early Review] The Kitchen (2019) – GOAT Film Reviews

August 9, 2019 at 7:01 am

[…] them financially, they still can’t afford to pay their bills. Kathy (Melissa McCarthy, The Heat, Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Ruby (Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip, Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History), and Claire (Elisabeth […]

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Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – GOAT Film Reviews

December 23, 2019 at 7:24 pm

[…] Hux (Domhnall Gleeson, Frank, Peter Rabbit) and General Pryde (Richard E. Grant, Gosford Park, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) is well-acted, but it didn’t need to be in the film and is ultimately meaningless. It was […]

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Kyle’s Top Ten Films of 2019 – GOAT Film Reviews

January 1, 2020 at 4:28 pm

[…] Can You Ever Forgive Me? surprised the hell out of me when it came out last year. Not only was it the best performance of Melissa McCarthy’s career, but it was also a great showcase for director Marielle Heller, who crafted a film that, on the outset, sounds kind of boring. When she decided to tackle a Mr. Rogers biopic, I was unsure, but the inspired choice to cast Tom Hanks as the legendary television personality worked incredibly well. Hanks elected to play the essence of Mr. Rogers and not do an impression, and that decision also paid off nicely. There’s one specific scene in the film that pushed it past mere biographical film and into a life-changing experience, and if you’ve seen it, I think you’ll know which one: the diner scene. I won’t get any further into it so you can enjoy it for yourself, but A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, like the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, was a life-changing experience. […]

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[#2020oscardeathrace] A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) – GOAT Film Reviews

January 18, 2020 at 2:12 pm

[…] as possible, and so when it was announced that Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) would be directing the biopic with Tom Hanks (Cast Away, Toy Story 4) playing Mr. Rogers, it […]

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