Bradley Cooper for “The Words,” which opens Sept. 5
You can go home again.
Just ask rapidly rising star Bradley Cooper.
The very talented 35-year-old Philadelphia native, who’s sizzling hot after the two “Hangover” smashes and the slick thriller “Limitless” (co-starring Robert De Niro), is at a career point where top directors seek to work with him and powerful studio chiefs want to sign him to lucrative contracts.
In the midst of all of this professional excitement and career opportunity, Cooper, who attended Villanova University for his freshman year and then transferred to Georgetown University for his bachelor’s degree in English, took a radical turn by agreeing to star in “The Words.” The timely drama about plagiarism, responsibility and values was written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, two of his boyhood friends from the Philadelphia area.
In “The Words,” Cooper, who also serves as an executive producer and whose name made financing the film possible, plays a gifted and ambitious writer stuck in a creative rut after enjoying a hit first book.
The answer to his problems appears when he discovers a complete manuscript in a leather carrying case. The character reads the work, pretends it’s his own, and then copies every word for a book that his editors are anxious to publish and his wife (Zoe Saldana of “Avatar”), who initially knows nothing of his find, embraces.
Problems arise after the genuine author (Jeremy Irons of “Reversal of Fortune”) surfaces and confronts the literary thief, who wonders if being exposed might be worthwhile. Such a public cleansing could help him escape the initial guilt he feels over the fraud and get on with his life.
A challenging drama, “The Words” seems designed to make viewers contemplate the turn of events involving such a theft and afterward discuss the moral consequences.
“The appeal of the role revealed itself as the moviemaking process went on,” Cooper said during a news conference at a Philadelphia hotel prior to the premiere of “The Words.” “The truth is, it was these two guys (Klugman and Sternthal). Brian has been my closest friend since I was a little kid, and it was really just to do anything for him.
“Then, the one who wound up benefiting the most was myself, because I wound up playing a (creatively challenging) guy in a way I had never really done on film.”
“The Words” delivers artistic weight, something desired by Cooper, who was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2011. He’s now seeking serious credits that will broaden his appeal, display his talent and solidify his star status.
He’s currently attending the Toronto International Film Festival in support of the comedy drama “Silver Linings Playbook” with Jennifer Lawrence and the robbery thriller “The Place Beyond the Pines” with Ryan Gosling. In the near future, he will pocket a fortune for the third “Hangover” installment, which arrives May 23, 2013.
Here are some of Cooper’s news-conference comments:
On ‘The Words’ receiving praise
“Thank you for saying it’s a triumph, because I feel that way. I honestly wake up these days feeling very grateful (that the film was produced). It’s like a dream. I keep waiting to wake up, because when you’re a kid you want to create with your friends, and that’s what I got to do.
“Brian and I used to sit in my house watching ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘The Deer Hunter’ and all these overboard movies and just wanted to be in that world and create that world. Then to be able to be here in Philly talking about this movie that they wrote in 1999 and that I saw a reading of when I first moved to L.A. — that I could help being a part of making that a reality is heaven.”
On creating the flawed writer
“Like anything, you try to bring whatever you can from your own life so that you can make yourself believe the lines you’re saying and that have been written for you. They (careers in writing and acting) provide rejection on a daily basis, multiple times, and that’s something you have to become accustomed to.
“He (his character) had that whole pile of rejection letters that he just held on to. But the moral dilemma was not something that I could relate to in terms of the specific thing. He robbed himself of the experience of creating.
“One thing I really liked about this guy (the writer) was that I thought you could really relate to him, if you could get past the moral dilemma. He’s not just a stock character who’s super ambitious and who’ll do anything to get ahead. It’s quite the opposite. He’s actually a very good writer, which I think is a nice hook to it.”
On the performers he admires
“The first time I met Jeremy (Irons) and heard his voice, it was incredible. And then very quickly what starts to happen is they become human. That process is amazing. Robert De Niro is the best example of that for me. I love him today, and he’s really just ‘Bob,’ and I never thought that would be possible. In many ways, he’s the reason I became an actor.
“It’s because these guys — like Liam Neeson and Christopher Walken (his co-stars in ‘The A-Team’ and ‘Wedding Crashers,’ respectively) — are so present and down to earth and make you feel at ease. In terms of acting with them, it’s effortless, because they are so good and you are in such good hands.”
On his youthful time at the Jersey shore
“I grew up going to Brigantine, New Jersey. We used to go there when Brigantine Castle existed. It burned down (in 1987).
“My grandfather bought a house there in 1960, and they (his family members) would go crabbing all of the time, so we spent our summers in Brigantine.”
On his deep love of motion pictures
“I’m definitely a victim of the magical essence of movies. I still to this day feel like I did when I was 10 years old going to the movies.
“I love when the lights go down and the movie’s about to start.”
Gaul on the radio
My “At the Movies” radio segment airs live at 11:35 a.m. every Friday as part of “The Dom Giordano Show” (WPHT-AM/1210 and www.thebigtalker1210.com).
The broadcast includes discussions of newly released movies and DVDs as well as motion picture news and cinema trends.
A different version of my “At the Movies” segment can be heard on Burlington County College radio station WBZC-FM/88.9, 95.1 and 100.7 on Fridays at 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 and 4:45 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The show can also be heard online at www.z889.org.
Gaul on the Web
My film reviews, features and columns can be found under entertainment/movies on our website, www.phillyBurbs.com.
Lou Gaul: 609-871-8055; email: lgaul@phillyBurbs.com