There is a general view that most writers have a tendency to be gruff, solitary people lacking in social graces. Such is the case in this biographical drama about Lee Israel (memorably played by Melissa McCarthy). Israel was an author who scandalized the New York literary world after it was discovered that she had forged hundreds of letters supposedly from famous people – who were conveniently deceased to make money. Can You Ever Forgive Me? provides an intriguing glimpse into the competitive realm of book publishing where one financial failure causes a downward spiral for Israel she can’t get out of. The film also suggests that male writers creating action-oriented espionage thrillers fare much better financially at publishing houses than female writers did creating less showy works (at least during the 1990s).
This still seems like a smokescreen (and a lame one at that) to even partially explain Lee’s brazen foray into a life of professional document forgery. It should come as no surprise to the casual viewer of this story that a perennially popular genre such as action/espionage pays those writers much better than more obscure subjects. It became apparent that writing about long dead celebrities did not work out any longer for Israel, and this precluded her from getting further book contracts. Nonetheless, Melissa McCarthy convincingly brought out the brusque qualities that made Lee so unpleasant to deal with, also causing her to become persona non grata among the publishing companies.
The banter between Lee and her agent Marjorie (played by the wonderful Jane Curtin) is amusing to a point, but makes it quite clear to Lee that an abrasive personality paired with alcoholism is destroying her career. While practicing social avoidance is understandable and desirable – when carried to the extreme is a career killer. The story sadly points out that Lee was not able to even put on a pretense of sociability with her peers in any attempt to save her reputation or her tattered career.
In any case, while it’s understandable how financial desperation causes people to do drastic things, forging and making up documents from dead celebrities was especially ballsy. Supposedly, what brought about her being investigated by the FBI and eventual downfall was the sheer number of documents forged (around 400) which caused dealers to become suspicious of her. It’s amazing that a writer such as Israel based in New York City got so carried away with it and became overconfident in her abilities as a swindler. With that realm being fairly small and esoteric, it seems she should have been aware that these dealers in autographs, antiquities, and independent book sellers were bound to catch onto her sooner or later.
Additionally, she started stealing authentic documents from archives and libraries to continue her deceptions – eventually ensuring more felony charges. Can You Ever Forgive Me? also has its comedic aspects as Lee had a flamboyant, seedy accomplice named Jack Hock (played by Richard E. Grant) selling these fakes for her when the heat became too much for her to continue. This struck me as unconvincing since it only brought more attention to the suspected fraud and deception. Interestingly, the story doesn’t stress that her motivation to commit these crimes was overweening greed. She never became wealthy from it and continued to inhabit a rather drab world – both aesthetically and emotionally. It’s never entirely clear if it was just ego which took over.
There is no sense of the beguiling or the charismatic personality that the white-collar criminal moving in such rarefied circles would seem to possess. When thinking of movies about bank and museum heists or French Riviera cat burglars – a documents forger should fit into that suave, sophisticated upper crust world as well. Can You Ever Forgive Me? turns that notion on its head but also fails to address exactly who authenticates rare documents and what the process is to determine the real from the fakes. However, the film is still an engrossing view particularly for Melissa McCarthy’s performance which shows that she’s more than capable of handling a serious part in a small drama in addition to her high profile comedy roles.
