Chaplin

Rating:
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.

Rating:
Summary: The Little Tramp lives on!
Review: Charlie Chaplin. Robert Downey, Jr. Two of the greatest actors of the cinema in one film. The result? Magic! Downey is excellent as the Little Tramp; capturing his walk, the twirling of his cane, and the wearing of his moustache. The film has an all-star cast including Moira Kelly, David Duchovny, Marisa Tomei, and Dan Akroyd; just to name a few. But the star of the show is Downey, in his Oscar-nominated role. But I'm biased--I am a HUGE Downey fan and I love all of his work. I'm also a HUGE Chaplin fan, and for me, this film is the ultimate honor for the first true star of the silver screen--the legendary Charlie Chaplin.

Rating:
Summary: If you want to understand me, watch my movies.
Review: Directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, director of Gandhi, this is the story of Sir Charles Chaplin. The comic genius who showed the world what comedy was and introduced American society into the film era. This film, simply put, was amazing. I was hesitant at first to see how well Robert Downy, Jr would do as one of the most influential men in movie history...and he was on target. He showed the brilliance of Chaplin, and also showed a bit of his dark side. The side that not many knew about...his underage womanizing, his constant pursuit of perfection over anything else in the world, and also as the humanitarian.

Chaplin did more for film then any other actor during his time, and it showed. Although my biggest gripe about this film would be the director, the actors themselves took me away from my seat an into the life of Charlie Chaplin. This film stared Dan Ankroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Moria Kelly, Penelope Ann Miller, Marisa Tomei, James Woods, Diane Lane, Nancy Travis, Kevin Kline, and even a favorite of mine...Milla Jovovich. The all star cast pushed this movie to excellence. This film could have been one of the best autobiographical pieces ever made, had it not been for the director. Now, don't get me wrong...he does good work...just this one was not his "cup of tea". I went into this film expecting a darker ending...a darker story...and a darker character. We all knew how funny he was, but how dark was his humor...when I went back and looked at some of his old silent films (before the "talkies") I was amazed by how many of them portray his life...the darker aspects of his life. There are many scenes about his mother and how she was put into an asylum by Chaplin himself. Hopkins makes the comment, "Your grandmother was certified insane, and your mother was certified insane...where did you get your humor?" That line made me think...I would have liked to see the trauma that was impacted him as a child.

Douglas Fairbanks (played wonderfully by Kevin Kline) said to him, "You know you look like him, Hitler...with the mustache. I think he stole your bit." and Chaplin just smiles....was there something there that we didn't know about...was Chaplin a communist although his brother was a Jew. These were confusing, and the director did not cover these grounds.

Downey in several of the scenes tells Hopkins (the book reviewer) that he doesn't want to talk about it...and they don't .... I wanted them to go deeper into his psyche and see where all of it came from. Most of these points were just passing glance...which irritated me. Watch the ending, the director tries to wrap up Chaplin's life at the Academy Awards, and that was when it hit me about how much darker I wanted this to be...I don't know, I guess I am the generation of JFK and Nixon or Oliver Stone at his best...but I needed darker.

I know it was there.....I just know it!!!!

Grade: *** out of *****

Rating:
Summary: AWFUL!
Review: Downey Jr. is too fat and "subdued" to pass as the lanky energetic Chaplin. He also affects this cockney accent that Chaplin never possessed. Ackroyd never fails to suck the life out of any movie with his hambone brand of "acting". The movie reveals nothing, save for nude shots of Mila.

Rating:
Summary: Robert Downey Jr can act!
Review: From the director of great movie autobiographies such as Gandhi, and Cry Freedom, Chaplin hooks you right from the start. Simply, it's an interesting story. How a ragamuffin from the poor end of London became the most famous man in the world is wonderful.

Robert Downey Jr will always be able to look at this piece of work as his finest (forget Air America and all the news about addictions, this piece of film-work will keep him fondly remembered)

Footnote:
When all movies were still silent flickering images, Chaplin made features dealing with controversial topics such as racism, and fascism, which lead the US authorities, particularly J Edgar Hoover, to brand Chaplin a communist, and have him kicked out of the USA. Chaplin deserved better, and had to wait until the 1970s before he was remembered and recognised by his peers in America.

Rating:
Summary: A DETAILED MOVIE ABOUT A MAN WHO CHANGED HOLLYWOOD FOREVER.
Review: How different would Hollywood be if it had not of been for Charlie Chaplin? This film is about Charlie Chaplin from his childhood days to his days in Switzerland. This film has all the important things that happened to Chaplin including: his first love, acting on stage for the first time, moving to America, getting paid $150 a week making shorts, opening his own studio, the many wives he had, the FBI and the reports on him, making talkies, getting kicked out of America, living in Switzerland, going back to Hollywood to get an award, and other detailed information about his life. This film is based on his autobiography.

Rating:
Summary: No Oscar for Downey Jr?
Review: I can't believe this guy doesn't have an oscar for this movie!! This movie is beyond the best he's ever done. I saw it today in the afternoon and it was just purely wonderful. The story was done beautifully. Downey Jr. at his best. Just a great actor who shows his versatility in this film. Really did amaze me in so many ways. Great film by far

Rating:
Summary: Nothing special...
Review: I can't understand why directors are drawn to biopics. They never seem to rise above the level of a better-than-average TV miniseries. And they generally gravitate to one extreme or the other: either the subject was a monster or a saint. Attenborough's Chaplin is in the latter category. At times it even seems like an apologia for the often maligned Chaplin, who some biographers accuse of misogynism, communism, and various sexual perversities. In contrast, Attenborough depicts Chaplin as an artist-hero who was highly principled but slightly flawed in his personal life. I admire Chaplin as an artist and even (with reservations) as a person. I could have tolerated a more balanced depiction of this brilliant man. It would have made for a much better movie.

Robert Downey is a remarkable Chaplin, although he misses out on the sweetness that Chaplin could convey on screen. His imitation of Chaplin's other mannerisms is excellent. As an old man, the heavily made-up Downey eerily resembles a miniature Jabba the Hut. The primary purpose of the many supporting characters is to serve as foils to the greater glory of Chaplin, proving somewhat repetitiously that Chaplin was a man of deep principles and unbounded genius. Thus, these characters have little depth and aren't very interesting. The exception is Kevin Klein as Douglas Fairbanks. He contributes a nuanced and moving portrayal of the young vital Doug and, later, the old decaying Doug.

A final cavil: over the closing credits, we are informed how things turn out for the many supporting characters in this drama. The writers could apparently not resist the temptation to give Chaplin's enemies their just desserts. Thus, we are told that the "bad" characters (e.g., Joan and Mildred) end up in mental hospitals or dying through dissolution. Unfortunately, the actress Mabel Normand is placed in this category. As the movie depicts it, her inconsequential talents are contrasted against Chaplin's genius. It saddens me that the makers of Chaplin felt obliged to depict this remarkable woman in such a negative light. And in a final insult to Normand, her closing note dismissively states that she never made another movie after the murder of her alleged lover, William Desmond Taylor, in the early 1920s. This is inaccurate. Normand actually made several shorts for Hal Roach later in the decade, struggling without success to make a comeback before finally succumbing to tuberculosis.

Rating:
Summary: Robert is a great actor a 5 star movie & he looks great.
Review: I fell that this movie was A peace of art. Robert plays this part grat and also looked very very very good in it. He is great looking. I loved this movie and Robert. From Lisa anna Reali in akron ohio.

Rating:
Summary: Slow but not boring. An excellant movie!...
Review: I happen to be one of the people who really like this movie. When I saw previews for it I was disapointed that it didn't show in my home town. Then years later I found it at a rental place and finally got to see it. What I experienced was a marval. I had never seen a Chaplin movie before and found myself wanting more of the real stuff too. So I bought this movie and proceeded to rent or buy as many of Chaplin's old movies as I could find. This movie is inspiring, it really allowed me to get into the head of the greatest comedy genius of all time, and it was a darned good movie as well. I highly recommend.