---
title: "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 29
published: "2026-09-17T09:05:10.780156+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T09:05:11.264505+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Directed by Marielle Heller · 1h 46m · MPA R · Drama, Crime, Comedy

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 79 from 29 reviews

*In a sentence:* We would happily buy these literary frauds a drink, but nothing more expensive

> Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant make this melancholy account of literary forgery funny and unexpectedly moving. Marielle Heller gives their difficult friendship time to develop, though the screenplay sometimes explains what the actors have already made clear.

## Synopsis

In 1991 New York, biographer Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) wants to earn a living from her writing, but her career is faltering and her dealings with other people offer little help. She begins using her literary knowledge to produce forgeries, finding a market for work she cannot sell under her own name. Her acquaintances include drinking companion Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant) and Anna (Dolly Wells). The bookselling trade offers an opportunity to turn her talent into money, provided she can persuade its customers that somebody else deserves the credit.

## Review

*Can You Ever Forgive Me?* makes good company out of a woman who has worked hard to discourage it. Marielle Heller’s film about literary forger Lee Israel is funny, sad and worth an evening, with Melissa McCarthy giving the character’s bitterness a convincing weight. The temptation with such a subject is to make clever crime seem like a reasonable answer to professional neglect. This film takes Lee’s loneliness seriously without suggesting that everyone else should have found her easier to bear.

Melissa McCarthy makes Lee’s intelligence inseparable from her capacity to annoy people. The hostility feels practised, with the defensive reflex coming through even when she has the sharper mind in the exchange. It is a performance that makes a complaint sound both justified and exhausting, so we can understand why somebody would want to leave her alone. Jeff Whitty and Nicole Holofcener’s screenplay gives her wit without pretending that a quick answer will make her any easier to live with.

Richard E. Grant, as Jack Hock, supplies the companion such a woman might tolerate: someone with enough faults to make judgement awkward. His charm has an untrustworthy edge, and the friendship benefits from our uncertainty about how much either person can offer. We were moved by their need for one another. The insults are funny, but Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant make the relief of having someone to talk to painfully clear beneath them.

Brandon Trost’s subdued photography suits the shabby New York setting, allowing the period atmosphere to accumulate without making it the attraction. Stephen H. Carter’s production design gives the bookselling world a persuasive sense of use, somewhere people work rather than a collection of desirable old objects. The attention to the physical work of forgery is particularly satisfying. Making something convincing requires care, and the film lets us see why Lee might feel pride in a piece of dishonest work.

Anne McCabe’s editing is most effective when it gives the two leads room to irritate and amuse each other. Some scenes could finish sooner, although the unhurried pace usually suits characters whose friendship depends on spending time together without achieving much. Nate Heller’s music feels suitably modest beside these performances. For a crime film, this is an agreeable way to spend our time: listening to difficult people talk, with the business of getting away with something supplying an additional reason to pay attention.

The weakness comes when the screenplay explains feelings that the performances have already made legible. Jeff Whitty and Nicole Holofcener are good at the sour joke, less convincing when dialogue supplies a clear account of someone’s damage. We would have welcomed more uncertainty, particularly around the loneliness that makes Lee so difficult and so vulnerable. Marielle Heller occasionally makes these people a little easier to understand than they need to be, which takes some of the discomfort out of sitting with them.

At 106 minutes, this is a good choice for an evening when sharp conversation is enough. It asks for patience with bitterness, evasions and people who make friendship unnecessarily hard work. Anyone hoping for a brisk account of a clever swindle should adjust expectations; a fondness for bad company will be more useful.

*Fi1m score 84, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to this melancholy account of literary forgery, with praise concentrated on Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant. The reviews credit McCarthy with making Lee Israel’s bitterness and vulnerability equally believable, while Grant supplies charm and a persuasive companion in loneliness. Their rapport is a recurring pleasure, alongside the wit of the script and the lived-in New York setting. Heller’s direction is widely admired for finding sympathy for difficult people without excusing their behaviour.

The spread is largely between approval and enthusiasm, with reservations about pacing, sentiment and how far the character study goes. The Hollywood Reporter finds some scenes could be tighter, while Sight and Sound objects to familiar depictions of self-sabotage and stale banter. Film Comment sees hints of a more mysterious queer film beneath the explicit dialogue about motives and backstories. These reservations rarely displace the shared appreciation of the central performances.

### Reviews we read (29)

- **The AV Club**, Katie Rife (A-): The film finally gives Melissa McCarthy the dramatic vehicle she deserves in this intimate biopic of literary forger Lee Israel. It is modest but compassionate, highlighting dignity, friendship, and a career-best nuanced performance from McCarthy alongside strong chemistry with Richard E. Grant. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/can-you-ever-forgive-me-finally-gives-melissa-mccarthy-1829791085)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (90/100, inferred): Melissa McCarthy delivers a substantial dramatic role with verbal inventiveness and pathos that reveal the character's core identity. The film is a fiercely composed, historically informed work that insightfully explores artistic life, money, and the era's cultural shifts. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/can-you-ever-forgive-me-reviewed-melissa-mccarthy-finally-gets-the-dramatic-role-she-deserves)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (85/100, inferred): Heller delivers a small-scale delight with a deft handling of tone and huge empathy for its marginalised characters. The terrific performances from McCarthy and Grant anchor a funny, poignant portrait of human frailties and outsider lives. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/can-ever-forgive-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Melissa McCarthy gives a finely nuanced dramatic performance as the caustic Lee Israel, turning a malcontent into fascinating company. The wry, melancholy narrative is faultlessly directed, with pleasures in its details of forgery and re-creation of a fading Manhattan bookstore world. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-20181016-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Monica Castillo (85/100, inferred): The film turns Melissa McCarthy's grouchy curmudgeon into a surprisingly sympathetic figure through a strong dramatic turn. It balances low-stakes crime drama, buddy comedy, and period detail while humanizing a difficult character with affection and insight. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me-2018)
- **Total Film** (85/100, inferred): McCarthy gives a dowdy and determined revelation as the caustic biographer-turned-forger, supported by a barnstorming Grant. Heller’s rich, melancholy character study of gay mid-life loneliness and last chances is powered by the vanity-free performances and a tack-sharp script. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critics Pick): Melissa McCarthy brings warmth and humanity to the prickly Lee Israel in an impressive departure that reveals insights into friendship, loneliness, and creative insecurity. The film offers a uniquely female perspective on outsiders passing judgment on polite society while channeling wit into forgery. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-melissa-mccarthy-1202924611/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): McCarthy is stupendous as the bright, bored forger galvanised by insecurity, while Grant is sublime as her partner-in-crime. Heller juxtaposes sordid details with romantic touches to create a funny, mainstream-appealing story of singletons behaving badly that achieves greatness on the sly. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-mccarthy-and-grant-steal-the-limelight-as-singletons-behaving-badly-a4055036.html)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/4/4): Praises how everything—performance, script, direction, cinematography—works in perfect concert in this melancholy tale of forgery and friendship, highlighting McCarthy and Grant as superb. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me)
- **Radio Times**, Karen Krizanovich (4/5): Commends the terrific odd-couple pairing of McCarthy and Grant in this believable dark comedy about an extraordinary writer's life, with exquisite supporting performances and strong production design. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ts1r8m/can-you-ever-forgive-me/)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): Lauds the authentic recreation of 1991 New York atmosphere and the powerhouse acting showcases for McCarthy and Grant in this witty, sad literary-hoax story directed by Heller. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/can-you-ever-forgive-me)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The film offers a visceral depiction of the loneliness of fakery through Lee Israel's story of forgery as a cover for deeper isolation and need for connection. It is an empathetic, observant portrait that finds unexpected emotional truth in small moments and character dynamics. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review.html)
- **Film Comment**, Teo Bugbee (75/100, inferred): The film displays a style of modern studio filmmaking subsumed by character and narrative, with dialogue that openly addresses motivations and backstories. McCarthy offers a committed case for her dramatic viability, though signs of a more mysterious queer film appear around the edges. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/short-take-can-ever-forgive/)
- **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): Highlights McCarthy's change-of-pace performance capturing both unpleasantness and vulnerability in this understated, sympathetic portrait of self-loathing, loneliness and the psychology behind the forgery scheme. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/can-you-ever-forgive-me-toronto-review/5132487.article)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (70/100, inferred): Marielle Heller's charming, melancholic film gives Melissa McCarthy her best performance as a forger dreaming of fame. It deepens her brand through an intimate biopic of Lee Israel's misguided scheme. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-melissa-mccarthy-telluride-1201999826/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (70/100, inferred): The rapport between Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy offers deeper pleasures than the main plot, with effortless chemistry and grounded performances that highlight their characters' friendship. The film retains a devilish vibe thanks to Lee's unrepentant defiance, though some sentimental elements feel less convincing. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The critic praises Melissa McCarthy's magnificent performance as the odious literary forger Lee Israel and Richard E. Grant's bleakly hilarious turn as her co-dependent drinking buddy. The film is a horribly fascinating true-crime black comedy that defies expectations of sympathetic characters while capturing authentic details of desperation and forgery. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/30/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-melissa-mccarthy-richard-e-grant)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber (70/100, inferred): The film is a surprisingly rewarding dramedy anchored by strong performances from Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant in this true story of literary forgery. The director handles the material smoothly, though pacing in some scenes could be tighter. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-1139236/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): Lee Israel emerges as one of the year's most interesting characters in a performance by Melissa McCarthy that atones for lesser roles. The film resists moralizing about her misdeeds while capturing the literary and personal textures of her forgery scheme. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/movies/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-melissa-mccarthy.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Abbey Bender (65/100, inferred): The critic praises the empathetic portrayal of the protagonist and the physical details of the forgery work but notes the film relies on clichés in depicting self-sabotage and finds some banter musty. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me-first-look-building-sympathy-literary-forger)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Melissa McCarthy's shift to a natural, heartfelt dramatic performance as Lee Israel, calling it a revelation, and highlights Richard E. Grant's perfect supporting turn as her charming but flawed friend. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/can-you-ever-forgive-me-2018-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (B+): The critic calls it an unexpected little gem that feels real and lived-in, praising its subtle portrait of a flawed woman and Heller's assured direction without glossing over the character's faults. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-20180902/)
- **Consequence** (80/100, inferred): The film is a very good biopic with outstanding performances by McCarthy and Grant that capture the story's contradictions and humanity, though it doesn't push boundaries as much as the subject might allow. [Read](https://consequence.net/2018/10/film-review-can-you-ever-forgive-me/)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4/5): McCarthy delivers an astonishing, best-to-date performance as the abrasive Lee Israel, making her compelling and sympathetic. The film is a thoughtful, acerbic story about loneliness and the fear of being forgotten, anchored by exceptional work from both leads. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review/)
- **NME**, Olly Richards (80/100, inferred): It is a hugely likeable movie about wholly unloveable criminals, with mean, selfish and hilarious central performances from McCarthy and Grant. Heller keeps a low-key look that suits the shabby, low-stakes mood of this minor grift story. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-2440629)
- **The Skinny**, Joseph Walsh (4/5): Melissa McCarthy has never been better in this remarkable true-life tale of writer-turned-forger Lee Israel. Heller delicately balances whip-smart acerbic wit and tragedy in a melancholic, smart cautionary tale. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/can-you-ever-forgive-me)
- **The Wrap** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Melissa McCarthy's dramatic turn as the misanthropic forger Lee Israel, highlighting her ability to convey rage and bitterness without maudlin sentiment. The review singles out the strong supporting performances, especially Richard E. Grant as her accomplice. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/can-you-ever-forgive-me-film-review-melissa-mccarthy-lee-israel/)
- **Collider**, Adam Chitwood (B): The critic praises Melissa McCarthy's stellar performance as a complicated, lonely woman and the film's empathetic portrayal of middle-age sadness, while noting it could have delved more into the protagonist's internal life. [Read](https://collider.com/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-melissa-mccarthy/)
- **/Film**, Marshall Shaffer (7.5/10): The review finds the film entertaining and involving as it follows Lee's descent into deception, singling out Richard E. Grant's scene-stealing charm and Melissa McCarthy's lingering performance for praise. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/561008/can-you-ever-forgive-me-review-tiff/)

## Details

- **Director:** Marielle Heller
- **Director:** Marielle Heller
- **Screenplay:** Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
- **Cinematography:** Brandon Trost
- **Editor:** Anne McCabe
- **Music:** Nate Heller
- **Production design:** Stephen H. Carter
- **Costume design:** Arjun Bhasin
- **Producer:** Amy Nauiokas, David Yarnell, Anne Carey
- **Cast:** Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel; Richard E. Grant as Jack Hock; Dolly Wells as Anna; Ben Falcone as Alan Schmidt; Gregory Korostishevsky as Andrei; Jane Curtin as Marjorie; Stephen Spinella as Paul; Christian Lee Navarro as Kurt
- **Runtime:** 1h 46m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 19 October 2018
- **Genres:** Drama, Crime, Comedy
- **Box office:** $9 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJIaNsf_bY

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, CA, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year 2018: Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year (won)

## If you liked this

- *The American Friend* (1977): A compromised friendship gives this mournful crime story its creeping sense of danger.
- *Withnail and I* (1987), Fi1m 88: More drinking, mutual dependence and comic hostility from people with diminishing prospects. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md)
- *The Station Agent* (2003), Fi1m 82: An unhurried comedy that lets prickly people approach friendship at their own pace. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-station-agent.md)
- *The Man Without a Past* (2002): Dry humour and quiet generosity towards people getting by outside respectable society.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013): Letters offer lonely people a less frightening way of speaking to each other.

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me