We were discussing clever ways to give a critics review using the title of this movie "Chaplin". I think that I win with "Chaplin, you're better off dead". The movie is better than death, but it probably made Chaplin turn in his grave. A genius like Chaplin deserves similar genius in a movie about him. This movie Chaplin, however, in the most horrible ways, ruins the magic of his best screen moments by demonstrating how he came up with the ideas. There are actually scenes in Chaplin where Chaplin is on a beach playing with a beach ball in that same way that he does in the memorable scene from The Great Dictator. Just a scene or two later in Chaplin a man comments to Chaplin, played horribly by Robert Downey Jr. (Who on earth would say, "YES! Hes the perfect Chaplin!"?), "Hey, you know... You look a lot like Hitler". Anyone see a movie idea? Ryan thought of a much better pick for Chaplin: Robert De Niro. We know that he does not look like Chaplin, but a he is a great actor, which would have helped the movie. All this movie needs a is a new cast, a new script, and a new director, so not too many modifications and this tribute could be great.
I do not generally pick at a movie for editing, but in this case, the movie looks like a high school production student just found out that there are thousands of transition effects like stars and bubbles and wipes and cross wipes, you get the picture. I do not think that a star dissolve inot the next picture should ever be displayed in a professional movie. Straight cuts and dissolves are the way for me, and pretty much all of the professional world. The editing job here seems like the work of a beginner student. But I guess that it works with the movie, since the entire movie is obnoxious, the transitions should be as well.
The structure of the movie is hard to follow. It jumps around in time and space, but only indicated jumps with titles like "seven years later". But seven years later from what point? It is not clear. If one wants to actually follow the movie, one better know Chaplin history and dates.
The best part about the movie are the clips from Chaplins own great films (which damage the movie Chaplin even more because the clearly show how Chaplin is extremely talented and how Robert Downey Jr is not). Chaplin ends with a montage of famous clips in honor of the deceased Chaplin. It is moving to honor this genius, though this is not due to the movie Chaplin. Chaplin moves the audience with his own clips, unmatched by any scenes in this movie.
I wish that I had spent my time reading Chaplins autobiography rather than watching this not so factual dramatization of his life.
~Kristen Gorlitz