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Chaplin

Chaplin

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bitter
Review: "Chaplin" is another in a long line of three hour biopics that are unoriginally named after their subject's last name, and which whisk us impressively through their lives without ever revealing much depth. Be it said that Downey does a good job recreating some of Chaplin's comic grace (though the scene in which Chaplin runs onto Mack Sennett's set and improvises and entire movie while others play along seems unrealistic.) The movie is told in a series of flashbacks that involve the old, bitter Chaplin discussing his life from exile in Switzerland, usually complaining of one of his ex-wives that he "hated the little --tch." Indeed, this film seeks to turn a splendid career and a complex man into a rather dark story that leaves us wanting to go watch a real Chaplin film and cheer up.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Downey Jr. Was Robbed...
Review: ....Kline should have, at least, also been nominated. Attenborough's sweeping film biography hits all the right notes. It gets a touch smaltzy when Chaplin visits England, but overall it is an entertaining movie with loads of great acting. See it with someone you dig being around...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: best biography film of charlei ever
Review: ...this film was the best of telling about charlies life ever , it touches your heart , makes you laugh , make you mad , amke you feel whatever . the reason i gave this film 4 stars is because some of the info in the movie is not very accurate and thats some of the actors look nothing like the reall people such as mack sennter , charleis brother edna purviance , mabel normandand douglas faribanks . either the actors were too skiiney , tall , short , fat , or not them at all .the scenes i likes most about the film were when he palkyed the drunk in karno's company , when he had to go to salt lake city , the scene when hes old and ahs to go to an awards cermony , and possbly more .buy this film and you'll never regret it , but if you hate chaplin the don't .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Robert Downey Jr. should have won the Oscar for Chaplin...
Review: A beautifully wrought film and a compelling, delicately incisive performance by Robert Downey Jr. that should have earned him the Academy Award for that year (rather than Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman). I enthusiastically recommend this film to anyone who wants to learn more about Chaplin the man and/or wants proof of Downey's breadth of talent. You will be swept away by the genuine feeling of this story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Downey IS Chaplin!
Review: And that about says it all. He should have won the Oscar, but at least he was nominated. It deserves more than 5 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A haunting farewell to Charlot !
Review: Brilliant and splendid story of the raising Charlot till his stardom with meticulous insights about his private life love affairs . From start to end a delightful and poignant film .
Attenborough repeated another bio after his successful film Gandhi and made a superb movie with a magnificent cast and extraordinary and vivid locations . Robert Downey Jr. deserved to win the Academy Award for this one and Pacino deserved it with Godfather II . But you know ; sometimes , the logic is so elusive.



Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Career performance in excellent biopic
Review: Can a lifetime be summarized in a mere two hours? Certainly not, especially if it is the life of Charlie Chaplin. The director, Attenborough, chose to focus mainly on Chaplin's love life instead of his films -- a decision that was lambasted by many critics. I feel it was a justified decision, especially after witnessing how influential Chaplin's love affairs were on his films and his life in general. The film brilliantly illustrates the immeasurable success and the subsequent loneliness that tormented Chaplin throughout his life. Robert Downey Jr. received a much deserved Oscar nomination for his portrayal, and, to this day, I have yet to see such a commanding performance onscreen. Breathtaking.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Robert Downey Jr Is Amazing - The Movie Is Great!
Review: CHAPLIN was a film that when I saw in the theatre I was amazed not only in the life of this one man but in the enormous pool of talent Hollywood has, Directed by actor/writer/producer Richard Attenborough (Gandhi, A Bridge Too Far, A Chorus Line), this movie tell the ins and outs and humor and dark sides of man who changed Hollywood forever. His comic talent and timing were incredible and his ingenuity in filmmaking revolutionized the industry. E was a lover, womanizer, lonely, angry and always reinventing the wheel.

Starring as Chaplin himself - gives an award winning performance is Robert Downey Jr. (Soapdish, Short Cuts, Bowfinger). His depth and aging process are very real and amazing transformations makes this movie completely real.

Other cast members include
Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters, Driving Miss Daisy, Sneakers) as Chaplin's ground breaking director Mack Sennett.
Anthony Hopkins (Silence Of The Lambs, Mission Impossible II, The Mask Of Zorro)) as the author of Chaplin's life story George Hayden.
Geraldine Chaplin (Home For The Holidays, Gulliver's Travels, To Walk With Lions) who is the real-life daughter of Chaplin playing Charlie's grandmother,
Kevin Kline (My Life As A House, Dave, In & Out, Wild Wild West) playing actor Douglas Fairbanks.
Diane Lane (Jack Murder At 1600, Jack, The Perfect Storm) playing Chaplin's first love.
Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, In The Bedroom) playing Chaplin's first of many flings.
Nancy Travis (Three Men And A Baby, Greedy, Doc Hollywood) playing Chaplin's next love.
James Woods (John Q, Hercules, Nixon, Casino, The Hard Way) playing Chaplin's prosecutor.
Also you can find David Ducovney (The X Files) and Penelope Ann Miller (Carlito's Way) in small parts.

Visually Richard A. made an incredibly detailed and realistic time capsule of history, memories and madness in the life of a creative genius. The DVD extras include a behind the scenes short as well as a 'hidden menu'. I leave that for you to find. This is a really enjoyable film and although it might be a little long - the time passes so fast you never notice it. A must for the docu-drama fan. (9-2-02)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ............
Review: Chaplin was one of the funniest, most creative men to have ever lived. Robert Downey Jr. is not. Somehow great Chaplin scenes are recreated without being even slightly funny. Attenbourogh is so fixated on literary cinematic methods (such as foreshadowing: at the start Chaplin is removing his makeup...a metaphor for stripping away the mask) that he forgets to make the story funny or tragic.
I was very disappointed at the short shrift given to Stan Laurel in the story. He and Chaplin were friends and partners for years, but it is not even obvious who "Stan" is in his one miserable scene. Skip this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Dazzling Cinematic Experience...
Review: Charles Chaplin was one of the pioneers in film who brought us classics such as The Kid (1921), Gold Rush (1925), Modern Times (1936), and Great Dictator (1940). His many successes are still to this day considered masterpieces which he created, acted, directed, and edited. He had a brilliant eye for what the human mind was observing and he could make comedy out of almost anything. However, despite Chaplin's great sense of humor the recurrent theme in his life seems to be surrounded by sadness and loss where his escape was to help others feel a sense of joy. Chaplin is a brilliant cinematic story that has a fantastic cast and where the lead as Chaplin is managed brilliantly by Robert Downey Jr.. In addition, the story weaves in moments out of Chaplin's life where he got his ideas in an ingenious manner which displays the superb directing in the story. When the audience sees everything put together they will experience a dazzling cinematic experience.


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