Storyline
A chronicle of Max Perkins's time as the book editor at Scribner, where he oversaw works by
Writers: A. Scott Berg, John Logan, Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Vanessa Kirby, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney, Jude Law, Guy Pearce, Colin Firth, Dominic West, Mark Arnold, Katherine Kingsley, Demetri Goritsas, Nick Davison, Jane Perry, Atul Sharma, Joy Isa, Andrew Byron, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Vanessa Kirby -
Zelda Fitzgerald
Nicole Kidman -
Aline Bernstein
Laura Linney -
Louise Perkins
Jude Law -
Thomas Wolfe
Guy Pearce -
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Colin Firth -
Max Perkins
Dominic West -
Ernest Hemingway
Mark Arnold -
Boat Captain
Katherine Kingsley -
The Purring Woman
Demetri Goritsas -
John Wheelock
Nick Davison -
Dock Worker, Homeless Man
Jane Perry -
Principle Nurse
Atul Sharma -
Train Commuter
Joy Isa -
Jazz Club Customer
Andrew Byron -
Grand Central Conductor
Country: UK, USA
Language: English
Release Date: 3 Jan 2016
Filming Locations: King Street, Manchester, England, UK
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The third collaboration between Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, and this is first time they don't portray each other's spouse. They previously starred in The Railway Man (2013) and Before I Go to Sleep (2014). This also marks the second collaboration between Kidman and Jude Law, after Cold Mountain (2003). See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 6/10
Berlin 66 Reviews By Alex Deleon GENIUS, Competition, World Premiere. A
Throwstone Product. image1.jpeg Max Perkins and Tom Wolfe checking his
MMS intently in "GENIUS"
"Genius" Stars Jude Law as genius novelist Thomas Wolfe and an austere
Colin Firth who never took hat off until the final scene. Sepia tone
photography and meticulous period reconstruction with streets full of
proper vintage cars starts out promisingly. New York, 1929. Scribners
publishing Co. Thomas Wolfe played by Jude Law as a frenetic young
writer from the sticks of north Carolina arrives in The Big City
carrying the bound reams of his first novel and brashly forces his way
into the publishers office. The editor is quick to realize that he has
a raw genius on his hands. This soon turns into a tale of an adoptive
father and son relationship between editor Max Perkins (Firth) and the
obstreperous genius Thomas Wolfe (Law) -- Colin lives in big manse out
on the Island. Wolfe comes to visit. Daughters find him charming and
entertaining at dinner. Gracious wife was Laura Linney. Everyone else
finds Wolfe a crashing self-centered bore.
At work Perkins does not just correct spelling and red-line bits of
writing here and there, but does massive restructuring on Wolfe's
mounds of hand written manuscripts -- removing hundreds of irrelevant
pages to produce finely honed best sellers. He recognizes Wolfe's
genius immediately, but also his excessive verbosity and the need to
compact the brilliant prose to make it publishable. The first novel,
"Look Homeward Angel" (so renamed by Perkins) is a big hit and runaway
best seller. Wolfe is an overnight literary sensation and celebrity.
Perkins' wife patiently suffers his constant absence from home to work
on the editing of the novels. Wolfe's behavior is outrageous (over the
top performance by Jude Law with passable southern accent. ) and
generally offensive to everybody within his reach. One wonders if the
real Thomas Wolfe was such a rake and so ready to run roughshod over
peoples feelings. Colin Firth plays Perkins as a close to the chest
taciturn dignified father figure in contrast to Law's raving wild man
image. In a way this is a tale of cooperative genius, because without
the backup brilliance of Perkins' editing insight Wolfe might never
have gotten published. Both were workaholics totally dedicated to their
respective crafts -- geniuses in their own way.
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!" Interesting sub plot involves Wolfe meeting his Main rival for
the title of top literary genius of the century, F. Scott Fitzgerald,
played by Aussie actor Guy Pearce. Nicole Kidman is unrecognizable
under an austere black wig as family friend Aline Bernstein and
contributes little other than occasional abrasive nagging. Towards the
end after a misunderstanding an ingrate Wolfe sells himself to a rival
publisher to the dismay of all, especially Perkins who feels
egregiously double-crossed. Very heavy atmosphere until Wolfe suddenly
dies of Cerebral Tuberculosis at the height of his career, not yet 38.
The sense of his impending doom is in the air as the film progresses to
a crushing end. Odd that British theater director Michael Grandage
chose to cast all English and Aussie actors in the principle roles of
such a totally American tale. Sort of like asking Leonardo Dicaprio to
play Charles Dickens with an all-American backup cast. I myself happen
to be a big fan of the writing of Thomas Wolfe so I was captivated all
the way, but the morning press gathering in the Big Hall accorded the
picture no more than a slight round of polite applause. I cannot
imagine that the general public will be much more enthusiastic.
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