The Words
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Metascore
37 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana
  • Summary: 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 co 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. (CBS Film)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 30
  3. Negative: 9 out of 30
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    Sep 6, 2012
    75
    Amazingly, though, Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, cowriters and codirectors of The Words, have the audacity - and the skill sets - to pull this all off. They wrest emotional truth out of hokum. They also wrest intelligent, nuanced performances from their cast.
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    Sep 6, 2012
    60
    A clever, entertaining yarn that doesn't bear close scrutiny.
  3. NPR
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    Sep 7, 2012
    60
    The Words founders on a spurious dichotomy between love and art. Which is a pity, because the movie is smart and persuasive on the casually incremental way in which plagiarism becomes an option for people like Rory - and perhaps for anyone.
  4. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Jen Chaney
    Sep 6, 2012
    38
    A well-acted but narratively limp indie that's undermined by a failure to connect emotionally with its audience.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 4 out of 15
  1. Bobby64
    10
    My wife and I saw the "The Words" today. There are no sex scenes, no fantastic chase scenes, no animation, no cutseu little kids. None of these...just a great story, with great dialog and characters so real they came out of the screen to share the popcorn. Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, and Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, and Zoe Saldana earned every dime they were paid for bringing these characters, and this story to life.… Expand
  2. jetpackulley
    8
    A very greatly performed movie. Saldana acts on this one with finese and spectacle, yet the sudden and quickly short boredom the movie brings in the middle is not to be ignored, it costed it two less points. But apart from that, it's pretty cool.… Expand
  3. GreatMartin
    5
  4. amboy
    3
    This is a film with high pretensions and almost no content. It brings up issues of honesty, plagiarism, moral responsibility and finally has nothing to say about them. It's all gift wrapping and no content. The actors are all fine (Zoe Saldana is irresistible), but they are working in a vacuum. The ending, like that of Arbitrage, is annoyingly inconclusive, but so is everything else.… Expand

See all 15 User Reviews

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