Synopsis
When a bestselling celebrity biographer is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception.
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Cast
- Melissa McCarthyLee Israel
- Richard E. GrantJack Hock
- Dolly WellsAnna
- Ben FalconeAlan Schmidt
- Gregory KorostishevskyAndrei
- Jane CurtinMarjorie
- Stephen SpinellaPaul
- Christian NavarroKurt
- Pun BandhuAgent Doyle
- Erik LaRay HarveyAgent Solanas
- 91
IndieWire
McCarthy elevates the material at every opportunity, and whenever the camera lingers on her expressions, she’s a study in contradictions — tough and tender all at once, unsure which side of that spectrum to unleash. - 90
Variety
It’s the human side of the character that makes this McCarthy’s best performance to date, revealing haunting insights into friendship, loneliness, and creative insecurity. - 88
RogerEbert.com
Can You Ever Forgive Me? comes from a place of understanding and love that few other biopics truly dive into, and it makes this difficult character a joy to meet. - 83
The Playlist
Israel, as noted by her own writing, had a caustic wit that works with McCarthy’s comedic talents. She also brings a depth of emotion to Israel that comes to a head in a wonderfully composed scene with Grant at the end of the film. - 83
Entertainment Weekly
Can You Ever Forgive Me?’s premise is so low-key outrageous, it would almost have to be true. And it is: a shaggy, endearingly dour portrait of the kind of true-life eccentric New York hardly seems to make anymore. - 83
The Film Stage
McCarthy and Grant’s rapport in these roles cannot be beat. Their caustic wit is mutual so each biting takedown is either appreciated or met by another in return. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
McCarthy’s performance, which is paired with an equally rewarding turn by British actor Richard E. Grant, anchors this bizarre, compelling true story. - 80
Screen Daily
Director Marielle Heller is less interested in the machinations of Israel’s scheme as she is the psychology behind it, giving us a touchingly understated portrait of self-loathing and loneliness.