cinemacl🎃wn’s review published on Letterboxd:
Asking us to root for a failed writer with drinking problems who'd rather be with felines than people, who lives in a shit-smelling apartment with a cat that's been around her for so long that it is now dead from inside, and who later decides to commit felony in order to make ends meet, it's suffice to say that there isn't much to like about our protagonist but there's a heart & understanding to this story that at least allows us to sympathise, if not care.
Based on the memoir of the same name, Can You Ever Forgive Me? tells the story of Lee Israel, who finds herself in financial troubles after her career heads downhill and who, in a state of desperation, begins to forge & sell letters from deceased writers & playwrights. Turning her art form to deception does bring in easy bucks but when suspicions are raised regarding the authenticity of her letters, she enlists a friend to abet her in the crime.
Directed by Marielle Heller, the film takes a lighthearted approach to all the events that unfold yet themes of loneliness, desperation, deception & companionship are addressed in many of those moments. It's in Israel's relationship with others that we get a true picture of her personality and the way it slowly takes over her bitchy exterior forms the core of this biopic. And on top of that, there are couple performances that make the ride smoother.
Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel and though utterly annoying during the opening act, her fine showcase does manage to steer the not so positive first impression to a more favourable outcome by the time the story nears its end. Richard E. Grant is excellent as well, lightning up the ambience with just his mere presence in the role of her friend who later becomes an accomplice in her criminal enterprise. The two also share a wonderful chemistry that only works out in the film's favour.
On an overall scale, Can You Ever Forgive Me? travels a rather conventional route, providing few chuckles along the way, and is made better by brilliant performances from McCarthy & Grant who simply take their respective roles and just run with it. A melancholic comedy with enough quirks & charms to keep the viewers interested if not invested, Can You Ever Forgive Me? allows us to peek through the scenario that drove Lee Israel to script a new, (in)famous legacy after the old one stopped paying her bills.