Without doubt Charlie Chaplin was one of the most recognizable faces of the past century and the way most know him is as The Tramp. Right from the symbolic opening Chaplin makes it clear that this is a film about the man behind the funny outfit and gawky movements. Of course it's very selective in the Chaplin it portrays,conveniently disregarding the less comme il faut aspects of his life. It depicts the motives behind his work,such as The Great Dictator,as only heartfelt and stemming from his sense of honor to promulgate and breast injustice;while omitting details like how he was sued for $95,000 for plagiarism over the film. A remorseless plagiarist,Chaplin took a script(Monsieur Verdoux)written entirely by Orson Welles while he contested the lawsuit and changed Welles' contribution on the credits to 'based on a suggestion by'.
I don't mean for this to be strictly a condemning rant nor to imply that Chaplin was just a thief-he's one most influential people in film history. Considering his status and legacy,there's some pretty big shoes to fill for an actor playing him(pun intended). And Robert Downey Jr does a marvelous job.
Downey not only captures all of Charlie Chaplins characteristics but also the stages of his life ranging from his twenties to eighties. The rest of the cast also does a fine job portraying the figures they play. All to often in films set in the 20's,30's or 40's, modern actors try too hard to 'act' like they're from that time period which strikes as glaringly false. Or they make no attempt to appear from a different era and seem too modern. But the majority of those in the picture lie right between these extremes delivering with convincing and genuine performances.
The picture combines humor and poignancy in a story with a backdrop of the dawning of Hollywood about one of the most iconic men in recent history,Charlie Chaplin.
Downey not only captures all of Charlie Chaplins characteristics but also the stages of his life ranging from his twenties to eighties. The rest of the cast also does a fine job portraying the figures they play. All to often in films set in the 20's,30's or 40's, modern actors try too hard to 'act' like they're from that time period which strikes as glaringly false. Or they make no attempt to appear from a different era and seem too modern. But the majority of those in the picture lie right between these extremes delivering with convincing and genuine performances.
The picture combines humor and poignancy in a story with a backdrop of the dawning of Hollywood about one of the most iconic men in recent history,Charlie Chaplin.