Genius (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – A chronicle of Max Perkins’s time as the book editor at Scribner, where he oversaw works by Thomas Wolfe, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others.

My Take – Reading a book nowadays seems like a rare thing, we have IPad & other hi-tech devices which has transcended the form of reading quite easily, but being from a generation two decades back, along with being a former avid reader, its sad to see the form dying. While authors like William Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, J.R.R.Tolkein & Edgar Allan Poe are still fresh in the mind of the people, not only because of their accomplished works, but mainly due to their various & still ongoing other of adaptions in the media, only extensive book lovers may know or remember the name of Thomas Wolfe, author of Look Homeward Angel, You Can’t Go Home Again, and other novels and stories. And I get it, his books where no cup of tea, they had no bombs explosion, car chases, FBI plots or other elements of danger or physical excitement. This Michael Grandage film tries its best to divulge into the mind of the loud & flamboyant along with this important relationship with legendary Scribner’s editor Maxwell Perkins. Wolfe was an author whose moods, enthusiasms, and output were not easily corralled, even by someone with Perkins’s experience. After all, he’d brought works to the public from other outsized personalities and authors with personal difficulties—notably Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Agreed, the film could have been better, considering its strong cast and subject matter, especially its truly touching ending, but if you like films about artists, creativity and the processes involved, along with superb acting and direction, you will not want to miss this. Based on author A. Scott Berg‘s 1978 book ‘Max Perkins: Editor of Genius’, the story follows writer Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) in 1929, New York, who decides to keep his with appointment Max Perkins (Colin Firth), editor at Scribner’s, he had no illusions: his manuscript would be turned down as had invariably been the case. But, to his amazement, his lengthy autobiographical novel ‘O Lost’, which was to become “Look Homeward, Angel” was accepted for publication.

The only trouble was that it was overlong (5,000 pages) and had to be reduced. Although reluctant to see his poetic prose trimmed, Wolfe agreed and helped by Perkins, who had become a true friend, managed to cut 90,000 words from the book, with the result that it instantly became a favorite with the critics and bestseller. Thus begins an untold relationship of an adoptive father and son between Max and the obstreperous genius Wolfe, leading to them usually casting the women in their lives aside. While, Max’s wife Louise Perkins (Laura Linney), a devoted wife and mother to five daughters, is annoyed at 1^st with Wolfe’s overzealous behavior and Max’s least interest in helping her out in her own stage writing career, she gradually accepts that Wolfe fills the missing void of Max’s aspiration of having a son. However, Wolfe’s mistress the married Aline Bernstein (Nicole Kidman), becomes over zealously jealous of Tom’s relationship with Max. Especially more when Wolfe’s inability to cope with the editing process of his second novel got in the way of their relationship. Heartbroken Aline warns Max about Wolfe’s nature and requests him to not to get too attached as Wolfe is known to throw people aside when his work with them is done. Red flags are raised when Wolfe decides to dedicate his novel to him. Max probably knew through his experience as an editor that this was a bad idea. Does it make him the true genius? Despite the fact that the film focuses on the raucous life of Thomas Wolfe, the true remarkable character throughout is Max Perkins. Most biopics provide a look into the life of someone who had an impact. If after watching this film, you are confused about just who the main subject is, that’s understandable. It’s rare to find a biopic about two people, but that’s what the film directorial debut of noted British theatre director Michael Grandage presents. Novelist Thomas Wolfe and editor Max Perkins are forever linked in history, and the screenplay by John Logan (Oscar nominated for Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo) shows us just how intertwined these two lives became. The film balances between the personal life of Mr. Perkins and his professional one, getting into the mix all these amazing characters. In the end, I could not help but wonder, if what Thomas Wolfe produced may have also been a side effect of his predicament, although I am almost certain that this was not the case. First, this film is a deeply stirring portrayal of the period of time in the western world when the literary atmosphere especially, as well as to an extent that of the arts in general, was at its absolute zenith. Only the very best of the best, most poignant writers were to be published and well-read. At the level of the artists, this meant a culture of creative literati, who inspired one another to the utmost standards of brilliance.

I can only imagine sitting and eating with the likes of a few these individuals all at the same table, in this time of unprecedented and never again to be seen creative brilliance, like in the dinner scene in the film. I really believe that many of the successful artists of the era knew very well that they were in the best of times, a time of passion in the arts, and it comes through in their writing. A poignancy and passion that they created and fed themselves. And at the level of the public, in the reading, this was of great significance in the social consciousness and the talk amongst the educated. In that time, this was still a blossoming means of entertainment, which had been flourishing since the latter half of the 19th century and was not yet replaced by the film industry, nor watered down and devalued because of the affordability of polishing and printing resulting in simpletons being able to achieve popularity in writing, nor mired in society’s now complete lack of taste and out of control proclivity for sin and degeneracy. Although the film is a bit monotonous for a period drama, director Michael Grandage‘s first outing makes for a decent film. He has earnestly tried to tell an interesting story. There is no lack of intensity but the star studded cast must have been a bit overwhelming for the playwright veteran turning to cinema. This medium is more about glamour and less about articulation. Audiences have unusual expectations from period dramas. They like to see anachronistic elements in them. Fancy costumes, classic cars and hip hop music thrown into the mix. No one want’s to see an author and his editor arguing about the word length of the upcoming novel. Altogether this is a film that will probably satisfy fans of the magnificent writing of Thomas Wolfe (such as Yours Truly) — but it gets far too wordy in the sections where long excerpts of Wolfe’s scintillating prose are Quoted verbatim on screen to the point where the viewer is tempted to scream: “Alright already. I’ll read the book later!” In what feels like a touch of name-dropping, the film tacks on a couple of scenes with Hemingway (Dominic West) and Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce). Though the scenes are a bit heavy-handed, they do serve as a reminder of what terrific writing came from this era, as well as the impact of editor Perkins. Although the film is engrossingly placed in Firth’s point of view, Jude Law dominates through his exuberant personality and unending energy. While Firth plays Perkins as the conservative but imaginative editor, Law is the reason to see the film, a brilliant acting turn reminiscent of his over-the-top Dom Hemingway. Law simply has never been better than as Wolfe. Nicole Kidman & Laura Linney played their parts well. Guy Pearce & Dominic West are likable in their cameos. On the whole, ‘Genius’ is a very thoughtful film which despite its too straight narrative is watchable due to its fantastic cast.