Chaplin

To begin, I must explain - admit - that I have seen this film a dozen times, at least, and that I am a tremendous fan of both Charlie Chaplin, the subject of this movie, and Robert Downey Jr., the star of this movie.

That said, I have watched Chaplin with a purposefully neutral mindset, and still, I would recommend it to anybody who knows or enjoys Chaplin (or Downey, for that matter). For those who are unfamiliar with the silent comic’s work; it is difficult to say. While I am able to set aside my bias, I am not able to set aside by knowledge of Charlie’s life and career. I cannot predict with confidence that the story would affect - or even make complete sense to - a viewer without previous knowledge.

Director Richard Attenborough, perhaps best known for his work on the Oscar-winning Ghandi (1983), either admirably or regrettably fits decades of Chaplin’s life into approximately two hours, detailing his rise to fame, his multiple marriages and divorces, personal scandals and, of course, his numerous cinematic successes.

As I understand it, the director’s cut is at least four hours long, and I wish he could have gotten away with distributing it as such. Of course, that is unheard-of, and with the running time so reduced, Attenborough would have been wise to treat the content accordingly. Without having all the information from the start, I fear the story could feel rushed, and thusly, the drama would be notably ineffective or contrived.

The solution? Learn about Chaplin. Watch his films, read his autobiography, do whatever you need to do so that you might enjoy this movie to its full extent, because it is worth it. As the title character, Downey is brilliant - he was nominated for the Academy Award. His accent, mannerisms, overall physicality are to the tee. In fact, his portrayal is so accurate that footage of the real Charlie is used without hesitation.

His character develops appropriately, whether it be the development of his sophisticated speech from a cockney brogue or simply the natural progression of age - during the course of the movie, Downey ages from 20-something to 80-something.

For the most part, the entire story is told as it was in My Autobiography, Chaplin’s 1964 work, and while it may impact the real-life authenticity of the supporting characters’ personalities or the depth of honesty in some events, it is for the best. This is Charlie’s life as experienced and explained by the man, himself.

Paulette Goddard (Diane Lane) is a sweetheart with sass; Mary Pickford (Penelope Ann Miller) is an “undersized bitch”; Douglas Fairbanks (Kevin Kline) is eccentric and wonderful. And best of all, if it is not mentioned in the book, no matter how significant in reality, it is not dealt with in the film. There is no attempt to create a moment or a person without Chaplin’s true opinion as support.

Until the director’s cut finds its way to the shelves, it may require some prerequisite research, but as a depiction of one of film’s greatest legends, Chaplin is an enjoyable experience, particularly for learned fans of the “Little Tramp”.