Chaplin (B or 3/4 stars)
'Chaplin' is Sir Richard Attenborough's directorial account of the life of the great Charlie Chaplin (Robert Downey Jr.). The narrative begins in 1894 & lasts until 1972, 5 yrs. before his death in 1977. Attenborough gives us glimpses of Hollywood in its infancy {fascinating}, the filmmaking process {fascinating}, McCarthyism {eh, not as fascinating}, & why Chaplin - a comedic genius - lived a life of hardship {also, not as fascinating or substantive as I would have liked}. The main flaw of this movie is that the narrative is simply too ambitious; attempting to condense some 78 yrs. into 144 minutes. There is wayyy too much life material and, because Chaplin's life story is so dense with incident, characters & events go flying by without proper depth or reflection imbued. So all & all, it's a superbly acted, smashing-looking, inconsistently engaging biopic about an iconic motion picture pioneer.
Robert Downey Jr., only 27 yrs. old at the time, was a controversial choice over in England as the British silent film star, but he rose against that adversity to be is truly fantastic Chaplin. Not only does he look like the icon, but he has masters the physical mannerisms, tone & cadence with which the man speaks that is so integral to the role. Downey said that copying "The Tramp" - Chaplin's best-known film persona - was his biggest challenge; and he sure rose to it. In fact, RDJ so perfectly captures his character that you don't quite know, at times, if you're watching the real Chaplin or the actor. His best moment occurs in a scene on a train when he is told that his former sweetheart has died. The look on his face is filled with pain, and yet, he then exits said train, tips his hat, & flashes a million dollar smile -- superb.
Beyond RDJ, the sprawling cast of characters & cameos include: Kevin Kline {as flamboyant Douglas Fairbanks}, Paul Rhys {as Sydney Chaplin}, Moira Kelly {as both Hetty Kelly & Oona Chaplin}, Dan Aykroyd {as producer Mark Sennett}, Marisa Tomei {as Mabel Normand}, Kevin Dunn {as J. Edgar Hoover}, Diane Lane {as Paulette Goddard}, Anthony Hopkins {as publisher George Hayden}, Penelope Ann Miller {as Edna Purviance}, John Thaw {as impresario, Fred Karno}, David Duchovny {as Rollie Totheroh}, & Milla Jovovich {as Mildred Harris}. Best of all the supporting players is Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie's real life daughter, who plays her own paternal grandmother. She brings a quivering vulnerability & psychological intrigue to the part of her mentally-disturbed grandmother and, her resemblance to Charlie adds startling authenticity. The acting by all is swell; but again, it's Attenborough's cramped storytelling that hinders effectiveness, at times.
Watching this movie is much like perusing a history textbook: interesting, informative, but not overly entertaining outside of isolated bursts of brilliant acting & incredible visual moments. As expected from an Attenborough movie {Gandhi, Cry Freedom}, 'Chaplin' boasts superior production values; underlining the vivid recreation of Hollywood's early days. Stuart Craig's period production designs from the late 1800s-1972 are astounding. John Mollo & Ellen Mirojnick's period costumes are exceptional. John Barry's evocative music score is absolutely incredible. The make-up work is right up there with '92's Bram Stoker's Dracula. RDJ isn't caked under a mound of make-up, and yet, he looks exactly how an elder Chaplin would've looked. And yet, I actually think that Sven Nyqvist's cinematography is the best tech element, of all. Nyqvist is able to make everything look so beautifully sharp & saturated, that you feel like you're transported right back to the depicted era.
On the whole, 'Chaplin' is a competently made movie with a strong central performance that elevates the material {along with the great craftsmanship + the "ooh, ahh, look who ELSE is in the cast!" of it all}. It takes a reverential look at one of Hollywood's founding artistic geniuses, but dwarfs overall impact by hitting the TOO many up-&-down highlights of Chaplin's life; rather than honing-in on a specific portion. Attenborough tries hard, but doesn't quite capture the pure magic of Chaplin's talent because of this. One other curious component of the story ... much of it takes on a somber tone; treating the subject's life as a sort of epic tragedy. To that, Chaplin is quoted as saying, "If you want to understand me, watch my movies". All of his pain & tragedy were right there on the screen buried under his soothing humor & the guttural laughs that he imparted to his audience.
See, it IS important to show how he was a businessman obsessed with his work at the expense of his personal life; that he was a suffering artist; that some of his much-younger wives took advantage of him; that he was investigated by J. Edgar Hoover; that he had personal demons that stemmed from a poverty-stricken childhood & a mentally ill mother -- I LIKE that there were tragic shading to the man. However, most of the film shows him as so miserable, when I think that equally focusing on his happy times & triumphs would've been more in line with what audiences would appreciate. Watch the film for RDJ's performance, for the fun Hollywood sequences & for the techs. The film is flawed, but worth a look for its fascinating particulars.
Robert Downey Jr., only 27 yrs. old at the time, was a controversial choice over in England as the British silent film star, but he rose against that adversity to be is truly fantastic Chaplin. Not only does he look like the icon, but he has masters the physical mannerisms, tone & cadence with which the man speaks that is so integral to the role. Downey said that copying "The Tramp" - Chaplin's best-known film persona - was his biggest challenge; and he sure rose to it. In fact, RDJ so perfectly captures his character that you don't quite know, at times, if you're watching the real Chaplin or the actor. His best moment occurs in a scene on a train when he is told that his former sweetheart has died. The look on his face is filled with pain, and yet, he then exits said train, tips his hat, & flashes a million dollar smile -- superb.
Beyond RDJ, the sprawling cast of characters & cameos include: Kevin Kline {as flamboyant Douglas Fairbanks}, Paul Rhys {as Sydney Chaplin}, Moira Kelly {as both Hetty Kelly & Oona Chaplin}, Dan Aykroyd {as producer Mark Sennett}, Marisa Tomei {as Mabel Normand}, Kevin Dunn {as J. Edgar Hoover}, Diane Lane {as Paulette Goddard}, Anthony Hopkins {as publisher George Hayden}, Penelope Ann Miller {as Edna Purviance}, John Thaw {as impresario, Fred Karno}, David Duchovny {as Rollie Totheroh}, & Milla Jovovich {as Mildred Harris}. Best of all the supporting players is Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie's real life daughter, who plays her own paternal grandmother. She brings a quivering vulnerability & psychological intrigue to the part of her mentally-disturbed grandmother and, her resemblance to Charlie adds startling authenticity. The acting by all is swell; but again, it's Attenborough's cramped storytelling that hinders effectiveness, at times.
Watching this movie is much like perusing a history textbook: interesting, informative, but not overly entertaining outside of isolated bursts of brilliant acting & incredible visual moments. As expected from an Attenborough movie {Gandhi, Cry Freedom}, 'Chaplin' boasts superior production values; underlining the vivid recreation of Hollywood's early days. Stuart Craig's period production designs from the late 1800s-1972 are astounding. John Mollo & Ellen Mirojnick's period costumes are exceptional. John Barry's evocative music score is absolutely incredible. The make-up work is right up there with '92's Bram Stoker's Dracula. RDJ isn't caked under a mound of make-up, and yet, he looks exactly how an elder Chaplin would've looked. And yet, I actually think that Sven Nyqvist's cinematography is the best tech element, of all. Nyqvist is able to make everything look so beautifully sharp & saturated, that you feel like you're transported right back to the depicted era.
On the whole, 'Chaplin' is a competently made movie with a strong central performance that elevates the material {along with the great craftsmanship + the "ooh, ahh, look who ELSE is in the cast!" of it all}. It takes a reverential look at one of Hollywood's founding artistic geniuses, but dwarfs overall impact by hitting the TOO many up-&-down highlights of Chaplin's life; rather than honing-in on a specific portion. Attenborough tries hard, but doesn't quite capture the pure magic of Chaplin's talent because of this. One other curious component of the story ... much of it takes on a somber tone; treating the subject's life as a sort of epic tragedy. To that, Chaplin is quoted as saying, "If you want to understand me, watch my movies". All of his pain & tragedy were right there on the screen buried under his soothing humor & the guttural laughs that he imparted to his audience.
See, it IS important to show how he was a businessman obsessed with his work at the expense of his personal life; that he was a suffering artist; that some of his much-younger wives took advantage of him; that he was investigated by J. Edgar Hoover; that he had personal demons that stemmed from a poverty-stricken childhood & a mentally ill mother -- I LIKE that there were tragic shading to the man. However, most of the film shows him as so miserable, when I think that equally focusing on his happy times & triumphs would've been more in line with what audiences would appreciate. Watch the film for RDJ's performance, for the fun Hollywood sequences & for the techs. The film is flawed, but worth a look for its fascinating particulars.