1992 Directed by Richard Attenborough
An elderly Charlie Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor, recounting his amazing journey from his poverty-stricken childhood to world-wide success after the ingenious invention of the Little Tramp.
Robert Downey Jr. Geraldine Chaplin Paul Rhys John Thaw Moira Kelly Anthony Hopkins Dan Aykroyd Marisa Tomei Penelope Ann Miller Kevin Kline Maria Pitillo Milla Jovovich Kevin Dunn Deborah Moore Diane Lane Nancy Travis James Woods David Duchovny John Standing Matthew Cottle Michael Cade P.H. Moriarty Howard Lew Lewis
Politics and human rights Epic history and literature artists, biography, musician, emotional or songs historical, royalty, sumptuous, lavish or drama political, president, historical, politician or democracy band, songs, concert, musician or lyrics singing, musical, songs, tune or dancing Show All…
At the time, Robert Downey Jr. was already known for his roles in a number of films, many of them aimed at teenagers. He was also once deemed the worst member of SNL by Rolling Stone. It wasn't until his appereance in this movie that people started to took him much seriously (sadly, as we all know, after that everything went downhill due to his personal problems).
This is one of those movies where its performance is its most notable feature. As a result of its particular charm, you immediately fall in love with Chaplin, even when the movie depicts the actor's most troubled and worst sides. The movie never shied away from this questionable interest the performer had, in…
I first watched this in a film studies class and have wanted to rewatch ever since.
I am so glad I did.
Downey Jr. made the perfect Chaplin and this reminded me why I fell in love with film and the man himself. I am slowly working my way through Chaplin's extensive filmography and this just makes me want to do it a million times faster.
If, like me, you get way too emotional, stay clear of the end scene. Clips from Chaplin's films cross cut with Downey Jr. shedding a tear at the Oscars will fill your heart with joy as well as tug at it's strings.
'Chaplin has become more than a name, it is a word in the vocabulary of films, and anyone who has ever seen a movie is in his debt.' - Daniel Taradash
to have Robert Downey Jr. publicly perform the exercise of aging as Charlie Chaplin is one of the most perverted things I’ve ever seen in my life
Everyone complained last year about Bohemian Rhapsody's superficial approach to Freddie Mercury and how it took pains to glorify his life without exploring the man himself. Chaplin is an earlier example of this kind of biopic, and together with Bohemian Rhapsody it is irrefutable proof that making biopics about the most iconic people of all time is a bad idea.
You can counter the validity of this by pointing at my five-star review of Amadeus. But the brilliance of Amadeus is that it examines a legend through the eyes of a forgotten man and allows his jealousy to guide the narrative, and this anchors the film in emotion enabling it to transcend the biopic formula. However, most biopics aren't as…
Film #20 of Project 90
”If you want to know me watch my movies.”
How can you make a boring biopic? Take your 70 year old celebrity and ask him to tell the story of his life to someone else, that someone can be one of his grandchildren or one of his friends or a die hard fan or sometimes a writer. Start with his childhood, show how talented and sweet he was, then show how he beat all the odds and became a successful person, add some neat romantic relationships and then end your movie with some informative texts telling the viewers that your celebrity is now living a happy and peaceful life with his family. At the beginning…
It's telling that the most interesting and moving parts of this are the clips from Chaplin's films played at the end.
Robert Downey Jr. is actually a decent casting, but he's squandered on a totally boring, perfunctory script. I realize that every detail can't be included, but Chaplin doesn't ever feel like it understands Charlie, simplifying his worldview, politics, and craft into something that doesn't ever reflect why he's such a beloved cinematic genius.
And can we please cancel screen wipes? Good lord, I think this has more cheesy transitions than every Star Wars movie of the last decade put together.
So Charlie Chaplin's daughter is also his mother. Doesn't that cause some sort of time paradox?
Script issues and 'hey look who's playing a famous person' cameos aside, Chaplin is a beautiful film steadily directed by Sir Richard Attenborough but owes its' beauty to Sven Nykvist. He captures time and place as no other, spanning decades.
The real highlight, however, is Robert Downey Jr. who knocks it out of the park on PED's. It is truly as frighteningly authentic depiction of a historical figure that you're likely to see. Considering the physical demands that Chaplin put on himself, the depiction of him carries many of the same challenges. Downey answers all of these, and elevates the film from a formulamatic Hollywood bio-pic to a must see piece of cinema.
Always weird to see RDj's pre Marvel era...Anyway this was a super conventional biopic tackling Chaplin's famous life moments without much complexity, constantly feeling more like a tribute than anything else. But it's a very well crafted tribute, with excellent production values and performances, and I was never bored despite the long runtime.
Lots of boobs in this PG film.
Stop making biopics that cover someone's entire life. They suck. Thanks.
A portrait of cinema icon, Charlie Chaplin, Richard Attenborough's "Chaplin" gives the life of the comedian, director, and actor a compelling and neatly assembled examination. Starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Chaplin, the biographical drama is a moving and invigorating piece of work.
From his youth in England, to his fame in Hollywood, and his exile in Switzerland, "Chaplin" captures the broad strokes and specific layers of he would be the Little Tramp's life and career. Examining his art, his personality, and his personal life, the drama never glorifies its subject; instead, it offers an honest-enough observation of a man made famous by his comedy and brought to Earth by his proclivities.
The narrative presents Chaplin as an entertainer with an…
