A writer’s dream to get published stands at the foot of a “Genius” who has worked with some notable names in literature. Famed stage director Michael Grandage takes the helm of his latest project “Genius”, a story that follows the life of American Southern writer Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) and his connections with respected New York publisher Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth). Perkins had already previously published works by the great American writers Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce), but sees something admirable in the passion of Wolfe, a man with very little left to live for other than the writings he shares within his pages. As the duo work side-by-side in the editing of Wolfe’s work, they develop a friendship in bond that borderlines a romantic chemistry that blossoms between them. The film is based off of the biography “Max Perkins: Editor of Genius” by A. Scott Berg, and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and suggestive material.
The film is a look into the tedious process of editing a book down from an overbearing author whose words flow out a little too earnestly. If we apply the same method of thinking to Berg’s film, ironically we would find that this is a film that feels like it has been edited down too much and could use a little more background exposition for its characters. The film isn’t a terrible one by any means, but it’s hard to give a pass to something that was directed so sloppy. I rarely call out a director for his work because direction is really the last thing that I look for when it comes to my film watching experiences. If it’s a serious film in tone, I almost assume that the direction will always be at least passable. The biggest problem with that notion is that I can’t decide what kind of tone that I should take this movie as, considering it has a different attitude for each of its three-act presentations. The first forty minutes are played almost like a screwball comedy, complete with wacky hijinks and cartoon-like characters that really feel like they’re reaching. The next thirty minutes is a transitional period for the final act that completely warps this film into a gut-wrenching dramatic piece. Certainly other films have done this before and mastered the technique brilliantly, but this script just isn’t constructed compellingly enough to crawl its way out of the hole that some of the sloppy technical aspects have hindered it.
On the topic of those handicaps, this film has some of the biggest blunders in terms of editing and transitioning from one scene to the next that I have seen in quite some time. At 99 minutes, there’s certainly enough time to grant the audience an educational depiction not only of some of the greatest American writers of all time, but the man behind them who was considered a genius for molding such timeless pieces of literature. So what happens? Well, “Genius” doesn’t quite teach the audience the meaning behind its name. We see Max as this book editor who is certainly good at his job, but what is it that makes him a proclaimed genius and better than the rival editors in his field? What I gathered from the movie: LUCK. This man is simply lucky to work with some of the biggest names that the profession can hold, and while Max does serve as an important piece to the structure, he’s really only doing what editors are supposed to do. The film’s creative reveals very little in the way of evidence at work, and absolutely zero when it comes to living up to that title at home with his family. The true genius should be the man we don’t know behind the books, and sadly “Genius” never garners much intelligence for its characters. Scenes feel like they cut at the most awkward of times, especially the most aggravating are the times when we finally start to see the chemistry between Max and Tom, but then it’s gone like the words that are erased from Tom’s first drafts. What’s a biopic’s first job besides telling a compelling story? Educating the audience on the centerpieces for its story, and that is something that Berg could use a little more “Genius” about.
It’s not all bad however, as the film has some beautiful time period aspects to the film that really make the trip back to 1920’s Americana that much more successful with great effort. The film’s cinematography (By the legendary Ben Davis) is beautiful, showcasing a greyish tint that gives the time that almost colorless backdrop. The film also shows off very classical wardrobe detail (By Jane Petrie) in the very three-piece suits, and evening dresses that it presents. The movie is very faithfully accurate in these aspects, but it’s really in the computer generated wide angle shots of Baltimore that effortlessly transport you to this important time in American literature. The visual designs indulge on that sense of believability for the film, and it’s one of the things that always kept me focused on the movie.
The acting is also as good as can be asked of it. Colin Firth once again captivates the attention of the audience, with great timing and patience as an actor for the long-winded dialogue. What Firth communicates as Max is a personality who could easily get lost in his own critical praise, but instead he never loses the passion for his #1 love: editing. Jude Law was also involved deeply in character. While there are many scenes in the movie where he feels a bit over-the-top, Law’s on-screen presence can never be ignored with how quickly he can takeover a scene. His southern accent is surprisingly pretty well done, and remains to stay faithful throughout the movie. Laura Linney doesn’t get enough time to shine as Firth’s wife, and that’s sad, as I looked forward to seeing some intriguing exchanges between them, but sadly we get nothing near Oscar quality for their relationship.
“Genius” is fast paced for all of the wrong reasons. It’s a chopped up, dispirited mess that gets everything incorrect about the biopic genre. There’s definitely a great story about Wolfe’s genius underneath the bumbling idiocracy that buries him ten feet under, but “Genius” has edited it all out in favor of an impatient summary of miscellaneous events.
5/10