“I had a book on the New York Times Bestseller list. That has to count for something.”
A small crime with big nerves: words, money, and trust under pressure. In True Lies, we dig into "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"—Marielle Heller’s understated character study, anchored by Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant. Because it’s adapted from Lee Israel’s memoir and set inside a tiny collectibles world, the details matter: what “authentic” looks like, who gets believed, and why the hustle feels so tempting.
We unpack how the film treats literary forgery as something stranger than paperwork—more like stealing voices. We argue about the push-pull between desperation and hubris, and how compulsion (drinking, stealing, self-sabotage) shapes the people at the center. We also track the craft: the process beats, the quiet tension in dealer interactions, and why the restraint either sharpens the discomfort or keeps the story at arm’s length. If you like true stories where the mess is interpersonal and the scam is built from language, this conversation is a great match.
We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel—when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
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Original Theatrical Trailer
Adapted from Can You Ever Forgive Me? A Memoir of a Literary Forger by Lee Israel
If You Liked This, Try These Other The Next Reel Episodes:
Life of the Party (Guilty Pleasures series) for more comedic Melissa McCarthy
Hudson Hawk (Guilty Pleasures series) for more comedic Richard E. Grant
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Coming of Age Debuts series) for more Marielle Heller
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