The Words : A Multi-Layered Story That When Peeled Away, Has Little To Say.

"The Words" is a multi-faceted, complex, yet ultimately unsatisfying yarn that tries to touch on multiple themes of moral ethics, guilt, plagiarism and blind ambition. One of the problems with this film is that it's ineffective mix of intersecting story lines becomes at times confusing, at times confounding and often frustrating by spreading itself too thinly over three story arcs; when at least one of the narratives alone would have possibly sufficed to make a more coherent and compelling film.

The film opens with the first of four separate writers, Clay Hammond ( Dennis Quaid ) a popular author presenting a public reading of his new novel, "The Words" to an audience of rapt admirers. Oddly enough, Hammond's reading of the opening lines of his implied best-selling work contains prose that is surprisingly simplistic and pedestrian.

Perhaps, this is an early indicator to the audience of the empty screenplay to follow.

As Hammond reveals the story of his novel, we the audience are thrust into the world of another writer, Rory Jansen ( Bradley Cooper ) and his devoted and supportive fiancé, Dora. ( Zoe Saldana ) Rory yearns to be a successful writer of his own novel, toiling away at his computer keyboard each night, while also dejected and demoralized that his two previous novels have gained him nothing but a pile of rejection letters.

Yet, Rory continues to have wavering faith in his ability to create something special; while also asking his blue collar working father to loan him money to pay the rent until his literary ship comes in. Alas, the rejections keep coming and Rory takes a job as a mailroom supervisor within a literary agency hoping to land his big break.

Eventually, Rory and Dora marry and honeymoon in Paris. Here, Dora comes upon an old briefcase in a quaint Parisian antiques shop and buys it as a gift for Rory. Later, Rory discovers hidden in the case an old yellowed unsigned manuscript. Frustrated by his rejection and filled with self doubt, Rory copies the old manuscript and passes it off to his publishing house bosses as his own creation.

The publishers laud the new work, ironically, as something so totally different from anything Rory has ever written before. The plagiarized novel becomes a huge success. As the steamroller of fame, critical acclaim and money starts rolling in, Rory plays along with the lie, suppressing as best he can the reality of his deception to everyone, including himself.

One day, an old man appears, scruffy and mildly disheveled. The old man ( Jeremy Irons ) begins to tell Rory a story of a young American soldier in Paris after WWII who falls in love, marries and has a child that eventually dies. As the old man reveals the details of his story, the film moves into it's third separate narrative about the young soldier's initially blissful existence in Paris. The young man ( Ben Barnes ) also has dreams of writing. However, when his young daughter dies, his wife leaves and the soldier begins a two-week bender of writing his own story, containing all it's bliss and heartache in a fit of literary catharsis.

The novel he produces is the greatest thing he's ever written or will write. However, in a moment of tragic misfortune, the manuscript is forgotten on a train and seemingly lost forever.

As the old man tells this story to Rory, the young writer realizes he has come face to face with the author of the work he has plagiarized. Remorseful, Rory tries to rectify things, but in the process only makes matters worse for himself and all around him. His deception has a devastating ripple effect.

Throughout the film, we are brought back to the original author, Clay Hammond, who strikes up a sudden connection with Daniella ( Olivia Wilde ) a young woman and student intrigued and attracted to Hammond in a scenario that seems totally out of place in this film and adds to it's overall falling with it's unnecessary distraction.

The primary failing with "The Words" is it's scattershot attempt to tell multiple stories that are supposed to intertwine; but instead, only serve to either confuse or wreak of boredom.

Had directors / screenwriters Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal focused on the story of the younger soldier, or Rory's ethical dilemma alone, or even in tandem; this film might have worked to greater advantage. With the bookending of Hammond's story, "The Words" ends up simply as a mishmash of narratives never fully realized or fleshed out. Indeed, the film's completely ambiguous ending involving Hammond leaves one wondering what his role in the film truly was to begin with.

Is he telling his own story ? Is his novel a complete work of fiction about Rory and the old man ? The directors fail to answer these questions in a satisfying enough manner, creating the question of Hammond's relevance to this film in the first place.

Quaid is given little to work with here save for some unbelievable repartee with Daniella, and his rather wooden narrative of his novel. Cooper strives to show he has a greater range than a comedy foil from "The Hangover" films, but his character's constant brooding, self doubt and guilt becomes tiresome. Saldana has some fine moments bringing some texture to her character; however, it is Irons who comes out of this mess of a story with the least damage.

His moments toying with Rory as he slowly reveals he knows of the young writer's deception and his righteous indignation afterwards rings perhaps most true of all the characters' actions within the film.

"The Words" has it's moments that will briefly resonate with some writers who have experienced the pain of rejection, self doubt and dreams of success. But, those slight touches of familiarity for would be writers will not effectively connect with general audiences.

"The Words" ironically fails in finding a clear voice via it's screenplay to tell a compelling story worth caring about.