Bradley Cooper plays a plagiarist who feels guilty when he passes off another man’s work as his own.

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As if there weren't enough writers in New York already, with thousands of authors pounding out new stories on their computers. Rory (Bradley Cooper) is talented, but no one wants to publish his book. Then he finds a manuscript in a bag he bought in Paris, a novel so good he can't resist selling it as his own. The book is a success and Rory becomes a star of the literary circle. When an old man approaches him in Central Park, he has no idea the man is the true author of the novel.

The Words is the directorial debut of partners Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, who also wrote the screenplay. Ironically, given the plagiarism theme, the story is a little too similar to the German film Lila Lila, an adaptation of Swiss writer Martin Suter's novel. The big difference is that the American "remake" has a storytelling structure that can be compared with Inception. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the two lead characters is more toxic than bonding.