While she's been more known for her comedy, Melissa McCarthy has been subtly shifting to more dramatic work to shake things up. One of the films bridging the gap between the two is intriguing based-on-truth tale Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which has a trailer online.
Adapted from Lee Israel's 2008 memoir by Nicole Holofcener (who originally intended to direct) and Jeff Whitty, the story has McCarthy playing Israel, a respected biographer who has seen her work fall out of favour with current tastes. In financial dire straights, she starts fabricating the letters of famous dead writers and celebrities in order to drum up the money to keep a roof over her head. But when her work begins to raise suspicion, she goes one step further and starts stealing actual letters from library archives, selling them through a fence she meets at a bar. All the while, however, the FBI is closing in on the scheme.
Richard E. Grant plays her loyal friend and fence Jack, channelling a little hint of Withnail in his gleeful performance, while Marielle Heller calls the shots, having taken over the director's chair. Can You Ever Forgive Me? hits Stateside cinemas in October, though we're still waiting to learn when it might arrive in the UK.
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