Customer Reviews

Chaplin

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you're anything like me, the almost semi-annual relapse and recovery of Robert Downey Jr. has been an interesting periodic feature of the morning news. After a while one begins to question why does Hollywood put up with him when there is no shortage of talented actors desperately trying to make it in Hollywood? Why would producers and studios, who are so financially dependent on their productions going off without a hitch, take yet another chance on Robert Downey, Jr? Then I saw Chaplin, and I understood.

The intensity and power of the Robert Downey's performance in this film is the stuff of Oscars and true movie legend! It's both a beautiful performance and a beautiful film!

Somehow Sir Richard Attenborough got out of Downey the kind of performance that can sustain a career, and a legend. But Sir Richard's mastery didn't stop there. He got spectacular performance out of everyone, including a young, pre-X-Files David Duchovny. (I know I misspelled that. But you know who I mean.)

In summation, Robert Downey's performance is every bit the equal of James Dean's in Giant, East of Eden or Rebel without a Cause, and maybe that's what we should keep in mind. For unlike Dean, another self-destructive personality, Robert Downey has not driven off the cliff yet, and hopefully he never will.

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.

Excellent biographical epic, with inspirational, amazing acting from Robert Downey, Jr., and the rest of the cast. Charlie Chaplin was truly a genius, and a beautiful human being. Robert Downey, Jr. "becomes" Chaplin - and the story of his life draws you in so completely, you will find yourself wanting to watch it again and again. When you hear the beautiful song, "Smile," you will always remember who wrote it, and the life of its author, Charlie Chaplin. Robert Downey does a great job on his own rendition of playing piano and singing Smile both on the soundtrack and his later released cd in 2006. For any serious movie lover, you must own this one. Check out the rest of the great cast!

The star of this film is the amazing replications of Chaplin's use of physical comedy and intense passion for filmmaking the "tramp" had for his craft. Robert Downey, Jr. literally steals the show away from such heavyweights as Anthony Hopkins and the film's director, Richard Attenborough.

Though Attenborough, he himself an Oscar winning director, does some clever things to draw you into the world of Chaplin (making the film look old and distressed, using the same shakey "hand-cranking" speeds for action sequences, and use of moody, uneven lighting), his tempo for the film seems painfully slow at times, and at over two hours, the picture feels much longer.

The film is packed with stars in small roles, as everyone plays second banana to Chaplin--Marisa Tomei, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovney, Dan Akroyd, Moira Kelly, and Geraldine Chaplin, just to name a few. The period accuracy is well done, and the acting is superb, however, the direction is heavy-handed--a major fault of Attenborough's other films, too, and leaves you feeling frustrated--just show more of Chaplin doing what he does best--making people laugh!

To his credit, however, the director does show Chaplin as the social activist who had an FBI file close to 2,000 pages in length. The drama, at times, seemed a bit much for someone known for bringing joy to so many...perhaps, therein lies the irony of Chaplin's life. See this film to be educated, and see it to see Robert Downey, Jr. in top form in this Oscar nominated performance and ode to one of cinema's greatest artists who was the forerunner for such "control freaks" as Warren Beatty and Orson Wells. Writer, director, actor, producer, editor...Chaplin did it all!

This is one of my fav flicks. Downey at his best, great score by John Barry which i listen to more than just once in a blue moon. i still can't get over Downey not winning the oscar, i was utterly depressed when Al took it home. Life isn't fair i suppose :)
Oh well but i totally recommend this movie. Watch it and get ready to fall in love with Robert and his portrayal of Chaplin.

Robert Downey Jr. shows, in his brilliant portrayal of Charlie Chaplin, why he is without peer among his contemporaries and a national treasure. This performance puts him up there with the Al Pacinos and Gene Hackmans of the world who have the ability to astonish with their brilliance! Nuff said! - Henry Gross

"Chaplin" starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the Little Tramp from the silent film era does something truly remarkable. It tells the story of Charlie Chaplin, flaws and all, and still makes you admire and respect the man.
The film, covering a period of roughly 70-80 years, could easily have become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the history, the characters, the events, but it flows so smoothly that never once did I glance at the clock.
Downey turns in the performance of a lifetime. Nothing against Al Pacino, who won the Academy Award that year for "Scent of a Woman", but Downey was clearly shortchanged in nothing short of highway robbery in his loss of the big award.
His Chaplin is thoughtful, inspiring, flawed, creative, torn, troubled and a genius, all at the same time. The real Chaplin's obvious gift for pantomine and entertaining is evident in this film, as well as his hardscrabble upbringing and his obvious liking of very young women as his paramours. (His last marriage, to the teenage Oona O'Neill, is shown as a real and affectionate marriage from both sides, and not the leering older man going after the young girl, as was the vast opinion at the time).
The film is chock full of talent, from Kevin Kline, Marisa Tomei, Moira Kelly, Penelope Ann Miller, Diane Lane, Anthony Hopkins, James Woods . . .a real "who's who" of the Hollywood community. And yet, the film truly belongs to Downey.
The sets and scenery are beautiful and I loved seeing how Hollywood must have been back in the 1910s and 1920s.
If you are a Chaplin aficionado, you will embrace and enjoy this look at his remarkable life - - even if you aren't a Chaplin fan, you can learn why Chaplin was such a revered man in Hollywood, and certainly appreciate Downey's acting chops. This film is proof of why Hollywood keeps letting this particular bad boy come back home.
See this movie to pay respects to Chaplin, to appreciate the always great Anthony Hopkins (in a small role) and the many other stellar actors in this film, but most of all, see it to awe over Robert Downey, Jr.'s impressive and poignant turn as one of the Hollywood Greats.
Highly recommended.

The first time this came out on DVD was in 1998 I believe. The new release differs in the sense that it's a cleaned up print and that it's also enhanced for 16x9 televisions, where as the original wasn't. If you watched the original on a wide screen TV it was letter boxed. As far as special features go for this one, there's about 3 new featurettes that are less than 10 minutes long as well as some home movie footage of Charlie Chaplin and of course a trailer.

Unfortunately there are no deleted scenes. I suspect that this release has come out only due to Robert Downey Jr's rise in popularity again. But it's good to see it on DVD with a cleaner print and enhanced for today's televisions. I have given this a 5 star rating because it's a good film none-the-less and a must watch for fans of Chaplin.

It's hard to cover a life like that of Charlie Chaplin's in a short period of time (even if that "short" period is two and a half hours). The problem is, Richard Attenborough's "Chaplin" tries to cover way too much, and in the process fails to give us much insight on Chaplin or his times. On DVD, the scene selection option is terribly wonderful because the film give different aspects of Chaplin's life seperate, sketchy vignettes. His wives and mistresses are in it for two minutes apiece, "The Great Dictator," "City Lights," and "Modern Times" each have only one scene, and if you blink you might miss the coverage of "The Gold Rush."
The film is entertaining in that it is briskly paced, and the performances are good. Robert Downey Jr. should have won an Oscar, and supporting performers, especially Geraldine Chaplin, Kevin Kline, James Woods, and Dan Aykroyd, are great. But one reason their performances are so good is because they are given no challenge. Chaplin is the only character in this movie who has more than two dimensions.
The DVD fares better. Colours are good throughout, and there aren't any visual flaws worth noting. The menu interface is pretty neat. On the extras front, there are several documentaries that are essentially promos for the film. There are quite a few production notes, including some about Chaplin's films (which, appropriately, are as sketchy as the film itself.) Hidden on the disc are some fairly illuminating interviews with Downey, Anthony Hopkins, Attenborough, and others.

I would agree with D. Reyes' review on this dvd reissue. The picture quality is improved, but the special features are very short and the two short docs that were on the original release are not included here. Surely they could have squeezed an extra 14 minutes of material onto this anniversary release. A commentary would have been wonderful, as would some deleted scenes. Attenborough states that he wishes he could make the film again, so perhaps we might see an extended version or director's cut one day (perhaps on the 20th anniversary)?