The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There's only one catch - he didn't write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man's work, and for placing ambition and success above life's most fundamental three words.
This film's layered storytelling lacks the fluidity, grace, or good humour, to pull off its conceit.
– Adam Litovitz,
Globe and Mail,
7 Sep 2012
rotten:
Bradley Cooper's funniest movie since "The Hangover" - unfortunately, unintentionally this time ...
– Lou Lumenick,
New York Post,
7 Sep 2012
rotten:
The premise is ambitious -- if not a little hokey -- but the meager themes of ephemeral authorship and constructed realities aren't exactly revelatory.
– Drew Hunt,
Chicago Reader,
7 Sep 2012
rotten:
The story-within-a-story-within-a-story is so slight and inconsequential, like the tiniest of a set of Russian nesting dolls, that we may be forgiven for letting our minds wander toward bedtime and tomorrow's errands.