While Goodbye Charlie has its flaws, in some really strange way these flaws actually help make it the unique, compelling film that it is. The story is a dark and dramatic one. Hot shot defense lawyer Jake Pence meets his four buddies at the local bar and tells them that he has killed the girl he took out the night before. In a fit of rage, he had basically clubbed her to death with a five iron golf club. His friends are not easily convinced of the truth of the matter, but all doubt disappears once they accompany him to his apartment and see the lifeless body lying prone in the bathtub. The brother of one of Jack's friends knows someone who is skilled at dealing with bad situations such as this, a man who also owes Jack for having gotten him off on battery charges in the past. The five friends spend the night drinking, moaning, arguing, and trying to cope with the situation until the professional arrives. Things actually get much worse at this point, and the movie proves pretty convincingly that unswerving loyalty to your friends is not always wise. My image of Jack as a sniveling coward changes in the end, as the final moments and epilogue show a much more dangerous and depraved personality.
One problem I had with this film is its sudden movements back and forth between different viewpoints in time. It was difficult to understand the chronology when I would see Jack looking down at a dead girl's body one moment and then having a nice, quiet dinner with his fiance the next. It is through flashbacks, however, that we finally see how things happened over the course of this ordeal. The film offers an interesting overall cinematography, showing us scenes from uncommon angles, making some shots jump several frames at a time to create a surreal, herky-jerky perspective, and by and large never allowing the camera to stand still. All of this can become annoying at times, especially when the camera continues to lightly sway and bob while focused on a stationary scene. Still, these distinguishing characteristics help the movie keep the audience's attention throughout. The language of the film also stands out, as it features some of the most intensive cursing you will find in a movie; I'm not sure a single sentence was uttered without at least two swear words in it.
Goodbye Charlie manages to offer an interesting perspective on the heart of man, taking us on a strange journey into the thought processes of a man looking into his own mind and heart and discovering a lot of darkness stored therein. While confusing at times, it definitely leaves its impression upon the viewer after all is said and done.
