Genius centers on the publication of Thomas Wolfe’s novels Look Homeward, Angel and Of Time and the River, yet it isn't really a movie about writing itself but more about the editing process; as such, editor Max Perkins (Colin Firth) receives just as much attention and importance as does Wolfe (Jude Law). Both men have significant others, and their presence is immediately apparent due to Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney’s portrayals – Aline Bernstein and Louise Perkins are clearly vital figures in each man's life; they embody the familiar trope of women supporting great men, if I can use that phrase without implying anything negative. Perkins’s significance comes from his ability to recognize talent in others; before Wolfe, he “discovered” Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald, the latter appearing briefly but effectively portrayed by Guy Pearce. Aline and Louise aren't presented as mere muses, and Genius functions as a love story only when it details Perkins and Wolfe’s close relationship. Their working styles complement each other because Wolfe believes, like Picasso, that inspiration should strike while you are actively at work – a notion demonstrated when he brings in the 5,000-page first draft of Of Time and the River to Perkins’s office – whereas Perkins champions brevity. The film's most valuable contribution is highlighting the fact that writing is often a solitary pursuit, but rewriting benefits from collaboration; having another person listen and offer feedback is essential – though not just anyone will do. Wolfe is fortunate to have found in Perkins his “ideal reader,” using Stephen King’s words, the kind of person who encourages you to eliminate even your favorite passages (“even when it pains the writer's ego,” as King also put it). Consequently, the film’s strongest scene involves Perkins and Wolfe reducing a paragraph from 232 words down to just 25. I particularly enjoyed how Wolfe uses sound effects to illustrate his character's experience of falling in love, and Perkins questions him, seemingly for emphasis, “The whoosh, the clatter. Is that really what you want to convey?” – naturally, it isn’t, because the narrative states that “So quickly did he fall for her that no one noticed any sound at all;” if nobody heard it, does the type of noise even matter? I'm unsure how accurately Genius portrays actual events (I suspect it takes liberties; I also wonder what those in literary circles would think about a movie featuring Perkins, Wolfe, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway all played by British actors), but that’s not really the point. Unlike many biographical films focusing on writers or artists, this one remains true to the creative process.

Source on TMDB