The movie has not been received well by the critics. Not surprising at all. The public, on the other hand, likes the movie. This is a movie that tends to cause one to overthink it when it's structure is pretty obvious. This is where it falls apart. A story about an author who writes a story about and author who breaks the one rule no author should break when he steals the work of another unpublished author. Working backwards, the movie works until it fails to resolve the top level story. Leaving very obscure clues is not enough. Having a character without any connected background or confirmation of why they are in the story is the Missed it by "This Much." Open ended is fine but unresolved is not. Two of the three stories are profound but they rest on a shaky foundation that the viewer must now decide for themselves. "At some point, you have to choose between life and fiction. The two are very close, but they never actually touch." says Clay. Yes, we must decide whether it is life or fiction but, yes, the two do touch. Who is who is almost explained but not quite. The redemption which Rory seeks for his sins is obscure and the writers make it so because they do not want to be accused of being trite or cliche. Well in this one part, they are. The two inner stories would hold up just fine without the smoke that Daniella brings to the movie. In fact, remove all of the scenes in Clay's condo because they really do nothing for the story. It does nothing to conclude that Daniella's objective is to bed the famous author she has a crush on. We can be thankful that although she almost succeeds, she doesn't, at least not in this fiction. The critics who blast the movie because of its lack of literary acclaim are typical of critics who see only their version of the way things should be. Perhaps the fact that the final resolution is not so open-ended as it is simply confusing and leaves gaping holes in the story. We find 90% of the movie profound and enjoyable and actually very realistic. It's the 10% at the end in Clay's roost that we are left dangling without sufficient clue. The baseball is not enough.

I may sound shallow for not wanting to dive into it and create my own meaning, but I hate the "leave it to the audience's interpretation" element. It took my rating from a 9, or even possibly a 10, to what it is. I hate this element in general because when I care for the characters, I don't want a maybe ending, I want a yes/no. I was SO drawn in and felt completely abandoned at the end. This movie drew me in for 90% of the time but there is NOTHING worse (when it comes to movies) than a bad, disappointing, soggy ending.The movie's attempt at being complex is lost in the end, which wrapped the three layers of the plot so poorly. I felt as though all the emotion I had just felt was in vain because of the possibility of it not even being real, which is implied by Clay's comment on the fine line between fiction and reality. Yes, I know it's a movie and that it's not really real but I wanted it to be real for Rory... or Clay... or whoever.I must, however, compliment the acting in this film. Bradley Cooper, whose work I am not familiar with, absolutely amazed me with his skill; there's a moment where his character, Rory, is drunk-crying and it seemed so... raw. Zoe Saldana was great too and the pair had beautiful chemistry.Nevertheless, I wish I could take back the time I spent watching this film because I don't know what to do with it. I don't know what to do with how Clay/ Rory (?) ended up. I'm frustrated.

I've just watched The Words for the second time, mesmerized and tear- struck throughout. Frankly, I'm shocked and disappointed at the complete critical disdain that has been bestowed on this beautiful work of art. I just had to read some of what the critics wrote to try to understand how this could be. Mind you, I only read the top 5 reviews, and I am shocked to find the criticisms both due to microscopic nit-picking, and to studiously missing the point, I think. Maybe everybody sees something different, or what they want to see. Regardless, I hope anybody reading this will take heart and watch this movie, who knows what you will see in it.With that in mind, I will attempt to write it without spoilers, although that of course presents challenges. I found this movie to be philosophical genius. To me, it's not about the specific plot at all, not even about ethics or the stealing of a story. This movie is a brilliant inspection of the human condition, of the clash between the conflicting passions for love and individual goals and self esteem, and most of all the choices that one makes in life in the process. This movie is about the essences of life--passion and choice, the future that this spawns, and the consequences that must be lived with because that's all there is to do. You can't unmake a choice, you just have to see how it plays out.This essential plot is constructed out of many layers, scenes, actors, and threads of story line. The cinematography is sensual, understated, and beautiful, and places you squarely as a quiet observer of the interconnected webs of human drama built upon the cascading choices and events, the interplay of lives, places, and consequences. The musical score is marvelous, creating feelings of appropriate drama, depth, and underscore to the orchestrations of life on the screens. Most significantly, there are the words themselves.On the one hand, "the words", like the rest of the plot details, are simply the excuse to illustrate the human condition. Yet, these words also are profound on many levels--powerful, sensual, passionate, desperate, even confessional, the words themselves take a life of their own across decades of time and transcending lives. The words are living choices as fiction from life, and yet the power of their consequences propagates in wave after wave of impact on the lives of others. There is metaphor in the repeated choices made due to the words and the ensuing loss. Whether you are reading the words yourself, hearing them narrated, watching the inspiring events, or hearing the tale from the one that experienced them, each unique perspective reinforces the diversity with which life and its choices are experienced differently by all who come in contact with them.This is what I see in this movie. It is beautiful and profound on many levels, a joy to experience with all your senses, and a provocative nudge towards introspection of your own choices and consequences in life. This is one of the best films I have ever seen, and I guess I feel sorry for all of the reviewers I just read complaining about holes in the plot. I'm afraid they watched but couldn't see the actual brilliance of this film.Bravo to "The Words".

I Always write reviews about books I've read .. but this is the first time i write about movie I've seen .. deeply l like it ..maybe because it's reach to something important inside me ..something I can't put it on ''THE WORDS'' ...We all hopes and dreams to be famous people ..successful people, the others listening to us, inspiring from us to becoming The Example to them .. such a beautiful dreams .. but the reality tells us a different world.The words it's a story about three writers, A story inside a story inside a story..A story about young man dreamed to be writer, to be something important, he wrote a book after his daughter pass away and his wife left him.. when he but his pain and joy in a words .. he became what he want, what he dream.. but he lost his book and he never write again ..After so many years another young man also dreamed to be writer, found by coincidence the lost book, simply he stole it and put his name on it, he pretend to be the writer he couldn't be and finally he met the first young man who became old man. The third writer who wrote a stories about another tow men ..Actually the three men they're a same person, all of them want a same things, make mistakes to get what they want, and all of them love the words more anything else, more than their wives, their lives, even more than themselves .. and it was their tragedy.. it was their success and failure The idea of movie is that one can making a terrible mistake in life, continue to live and perhaps even live well with no price to pay.It's pessimistic look to life .. but that what our life truly is.