Charlie Bartlett (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Having just been expelled from private school for making phony driver's licenses, wealthy, intelligent teen Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin, Alpha Dog) hopes to fit in at his new public high school by appointing himself as both pharmacist & psychiatrist to the unwelcoming student body. He's great at giving advice. But will he ever take a step back and see that the 'ends' of what he's doing may not justify the 'means'? Thus is the general plot in 'Charlie Bartlett', a dramedy directed by editing specialist, Jon Poll. The beginning & end of the 93 min. teen angst flick is quite good. I liked most of the characters. But a lot of the midsection of the film I found to be quite boring. And an uneven tone (satire, indie flick, mainstream comedy, drama) confused me.
Charlie is diminutive in body, but not in mind. After being expelled from private school, his mom (Hope Davis), a rich, single parent, turns a blind eye to most of his misgivings. Unfortunately (for the both of them), Charlie's dad is in jail serving a sentence for tax evasion. So by the time Charlie enters public school (still wearing his private school embroidered blazer), you can imagine the ridicule he faces. Almost immediately, he is beaten up by a stock bully named Murphey (Tyler Hilton). Initially upset, Charlie shakes this incident off, reassuring himself that he will gain popularity by using his brain. You see, at a recent psychiatrist session, he was prescribed Ritalin. And after only a few days of taking it, he realizes that selling it to his fellow classmates would be like striking a popularity goldmine.
Not only is he brilliant in asking the very bully who beat him up to be his partner-in-crime, but Charlie succeeds in attaining that recognition (from his classmates) that he so desires. By reading up on symptoms of various mental disorders, Charlie enters his psychiatrist(s) office with faux-problems, and leaves with prescription after prescription. Not only does he dole out these meds (in the boy's lavatory at school), but he also gets to hear his fellow student's sob stories as to why they'd want the various pills in the 1st place. And much to Charlie's surprise, he's actually a very good listener/giver of advice. He's even able to win-over Susan (Kat Dennings), who unfortunately happens to be the daughter of the new principal of the school (Robert Downey Jr.). Light comedy & melodrama ensues.
I really enjoyed the 1st ½ hour or so of this film. Anton Yelchin is very good in this role (although, I would personally loathe him in real life. And I don't approve of what he does in the plot, at all). With his blazer on, his sunglasses in hand, & his all-knowing personality ... he reminded me so much of a young Tom Cruise. There's even a scene (pretty funny, too) where he's parading around in his underwear (as Cruise does in Risky Business). I also enjoyed what little we see of Hope Davis; though, she's more of a ditzy caricature than a character. Kat Dennings is likeable/relatable in an underdeveloped role. And Robert Downey Jr. is exceptional as the alcoholic principal/single parent. The climax of the film (involving him and a gun) is eye-popping, to say the least.
'Charlie Bartlett' is just an average movie. Its occasionally entertaining; often humorous. I found several things nostalgic (the ins & outs, ups & downs of high school life). And it's a decent film when examining the price one goes to be popular in school. But even with the "illegal doling out of medication" plotline, much of the meat of this film is un-ambitious (when it really should have been daring). Transitions from comedy scene to dramatic scene (and vice-versa) are quite sloppy; something I wouldn't have thought possible of an editor/director. The loaded subject matter in the film assumes that a fascinating movie would be the resultant. But 'Charlie Bartlett' is neither funny enough, nor sad enough, nor quirky enough to really stir the emotions one way or another. Tough movie for me to critique.
Charlie is diminutive in body, but not in mind. After being expelled from private school, his mom (Hope Davis), a rich, single parent, turns a blind eye to most of his misgivings. Unfortunately (for the both of them), Charlie's dad is in jail serving a sentence for tax evasion. So by the time Charlie enters public school (still wearing his private school embroidered blazer), you can imagine the ridicule he faces. Almost immediately, he is beaten up by a stock bully named Murphey (Tyler Hilton). Initially upset, Charlie shakes this incident off, reassuring himself that he will gain popularity by using his brain. You see, at a recent psychiatrist session, he was prescribed Ritalin. And after only a few days of taking it, he realizes that selling it to his fellow classmates would be like striking a popularity goldmine.
Not only is he brilliant in asking the very bully who beat him up to be his partner-in-crime, but Charlie succeeds in attaining that recognition (from his classmates) that he so desires. By reading up on symptoms of various mental disorders, Charlie enters his psychiatrist(s) office with faux-problems, and leaves with prescription after prescription. Not only does he dole out these meds (in the boy's lavatory at school), but he also gets to hear his fellow student's sob stories as to why they'd want the various pills in the 1st place. And much to Charlie's surprise, he's actually a very good listener/giver of advice. He's even able to win-over Susan (Kat Dennings), who unfortunately happens to be the daughter of the new principal of the school (Robert Downey Jr.). Light comedy & melodrama ensues.
I really enjoyed the 1st ½ hour or so of this film. Anton Yelchin is very good in this role (although, I would personally loathe him in real life. And I don't approve of what he does in the plot, at all). With his blazer on, his sunglasses in hand, & his all-knowing personality ... he reminded me so much of a young Tom Cruise. There's even a scene (pretty funny, too) where he's parading around in his underwear (as Cruise does in Risky Business). I also enjoyed what little we see of Hope Davis; though, she's more of a ditzy caricature than a character. Kat Dennings is likeable/relatable in an underdeveloped role. And Robert Downey Jr. is exceptional as the alcoholic principal/single parent. The climax of the film (involving him and a gun) is eye-popping, to say the least.
'Charlie Bartlett' is just an average movie. Its occasionally entertaining; often humorous. I found several things nostalgic (the ins & outs, ups & downs of high school life). And it's a decent film when examining the price one goes to be popular in school. But even with the "illegal doling out of medication" plotline, much of the meat of this film is un-ambitious (when it really should have been daring). Transitions from comedy scene to dramatic scene (and vice-versa) are quite sloppy; something I wouldn't have thought possible of an editor/director. The loaded subject matter in the film assumes that a fascinating movie would be the resultant. But 'Charlie Bartlett' is neither funny enough, nor sad enough, nor quirky enough to really stir the emotions one way or another. Tough movie for me to critique.