Chaplin is a film about silent filmmaker and extraordinary star Charlie Chaplin. Charlie is played by actor Robert Downey Jr. This film was brought to the world by actor and director Richard Attenborough who is famous for his directorial Oscar winning film Gandhi. In addition to Robert Downey Jr. there is an all star cast including Dan Aykroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Marisa Tomei, Diane Lane, David Duchovny, and Milla Jovovich. Charlie Chaplin’s daughter Geraldine Chaplin plays her grandmother Hannah Chaplin in the movie as well. Most of the script was based off of Chaplin’s own My Autobiography and David Robinson’s Chaplin: His Life and Art. This film was nominated for 3 Oscars including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Downey’s performance.
Chaplin portrays the film star’s life through many flashbacks during a conversation Charlie has with his autobiography editor George Hayden. Hayden is played by Anthony Hopkins and is one of the only fictional characters in the film. Chaplin starts with flashbacks to Charlie’s life in poverty in England and continues through success in the United States. This movie highlights many defining moments in the life of the King of Hollywood’s Golden Age. This is an almost a true beginning until end-of-life biopic. Attenborough seen fit to fill 143 minutes with a lot of insight into a life of a pioneer in Hollywood and he keeps the story flowing until the end. I was so enthralled with its subject matter I did not really notice its length my first viewing of this film. The movie has been criticized for its length and for a smoky portrayal of Chaplin’s life. I feel each minute will keep you in the film by Downey’s performance and the intriguing look into Chaplin’s world despite what the masses have said. According to IMDB.com the original cut of this film was over 4 hours long.
I am not sure why many critics felt this was a fluffy film but it does a good job of showing not just the good about the man but the troubled side to him as well. Of course there are many love affairs that are exposed in this film that were necessary to the story. No matter the critics opinion this film shows the sadness behind the clown as well as controversy, inspiration, tragedy, triumph, love, and death. These are a few of the things that seem necessary for a biopic with substance. Chaplin is a unique, entertaining, and informative view into a vibrant but silently hidden existence.
This film was given a B+ by Yahoo Users according to Yahoo Movies. The critics did not weigh in on this one on the page. I feel this is a definite must see for many reasons. If for no other reason you will be a fan of the performance by Downey which is remarkable, so it is at least a definite rental. Chaplin also gives you a unique look into the making of silent films not just Chaplin’s life. Perhaps it is a little lengthy but with the amount that was originally cut from this film it does not miss a second of accomplishing the director’s goal. You will walk away from this movie with something so it is well worth the watch. Give this a view for yourself and see if you agree with the critics. Perhaps it will join your collection as it has mine. Maybe you will just simply enjoy it and forget the technicalities!
For more information on the film see these reference links.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800184000/info
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103939/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplin_%28film%29
For more on the life of Charlie Chaplin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin
You can rent this move to watch at:
Available both for DVD Rental or Instant Viewing at Netflix.com
Blockbuster.com
Reference:
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/918087/the_artistic_voice_of_charlie_chaplin.html?c
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/2312925/charlie_chaplin_who.html?cat=2
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/668513/the_meaning_behind_the_tramp.html?cat=9
