Charlie St. Cloud (C- or 1.5/4 stars)
Geez, along with Dear John & The Last Song, this film, 'Charlie St. Cloud' (directed by Burr Steers), contains some of the most sappy, sentimental, cinematic goop I've seen in quite some time. Charlie (Zac Efron, oooooh), having graduated from high school, is looking forward to his last summer at home before shipping off to college on a sailing scholarship. He & his young brother, Sam (an uneven Charlie Tahan), have a solid relationship, although Charlie sometimes despises having to babysit for him. Then disaster strikes. Charlie & Sam get into a horrific car accident that kills Sam & sends Charlie into limbo. A paramedic (Ray Liotta, haha) revives Charlie. And, having been to the 'other side', is able to see dead people; including an old friend, and Sam, of course.
5 yrs. pass, & a grief-stricken Charlie has become something of a recluse. His mom (Kim Basinger) moves away, he works in a cemetery, he loses contact with society, & his big-man-on-campus persona dissipates into nothing. In fact, the highlight of Charlie's day is when he plays catch with (dead) Sam in the woods. That all changes when he starts flirting with Tess (Amanda Crews), a local girl who's planning to sail around the world. From here on out, Charlie must choose btwn. keeping a promise he made to Sam, or going after Tess. Melodrama, catastrophe, redemption, & utter nonsense ensue.
Movies about the supernatural have never been some of my faves (with exception to Ghost). And this film, dealing with ghosts, figments of imagination, & psychic visions doesn't make me change my mind; particularly because none of it is clearly defined. There are no rules within this movie. There are ghosts who can do some things, but not others. Charlie can communicate with some living people & ghosts, but not others. Some people are dead, but alive. Gahh, there's no consistency within the 'rules'. The screenplay cheats (here & there) to move the flimsy, fragile plot along. Anything goes ... which is frustrating to watch.
I mentioned the film being sappy, sentimental goop. Examples? Every time something monumentally sad occurs, there's a cutaway shot to some waves on the sea, or a sun sinking behind the horizon, or a seaside edifice. Every time we're supposed to feel something for any given character, cue the insipid pop ballad (plenty of 'em). Every time Charlie is supposed to be conflicted, Zac Efron zones out & stares off into the distance. I could go on. Because of all of this, the movie lost me pretty early on. Director Steers just did not know how to organically create a movie about guilt, grief, & personal struggle (with the supernatural component). There's no dramatic urgency. And as for Efron - believe it or not - this is the 1st time I haven't been at least somewhat impressed.
5 yrs. pass, & a grief-stricken Charlie has become something of a recluse. His mom (Kim Basinger) moves away, he works in a cemetery, he loses contact with society, & his big-man-on-campus persona dissipates into nothing. In fact, the highlight of Charlie's day is when he plays catch with (dead) Sam in the woods. That all changes when he starts flirting with Tess (Amanda Crews), a local girl who's planning to sail around the world. From here on out, Charlie must choose btwn. keeping a promise he made to Sam, or going after Tess. Melodrama, catastrophe, redemption, & utter nonsense ensue.
Movies about the supernatural have never been some of my faves (with exception to Ghost). And this film, dealing with ghosts, figments of imagination, & psychic visions doesn't make me change my mind; particularly because none of it is clearly defined. There are no rules within this movie. There are ghosts who can do some things, but not others. Charlie can communicate with some living people & ghosts, but not others. Some people are dead, but alive. Gahh, there's no consistency within the 'rules'. The screenplay cheats (here & there) to move the flimsy, fragile plot along. Anything goes ... which is frustrating to watch.
I mentioned the film being sappy, sentimental goop. Examples? Every time something monumentally sad occurs, there's a cutaway shot to some waves on the sea, or a sun sinking behind the horizon, or a seaside edifice. Every time we're supposed to feel something for any given character, cue the insipid pop ballad (plenty of 'em). Every time Charlie is supposed to be conflicted, Zac Efron zones out & stares off into the distance. I could go on. Because of all of this, the movie lost me pretty early on. Director Steers just did not know how to organically create a movie about guilt, grief, & personal struggle (with the supernatural component). There's no dramatic urgency. And as for Efron - believe it or not - this is the 1st time I haven't been at least somewhat impressed.