Review of Chaplin (2011) by Sgt. C — 03 Sep 2014

(71%).

A perfectly good bio of one of early Hollywood's brightest stars. Downey Jr plays the unique Chaplin using a combination of fine physical performance art, as well as the intelligent, and somewhat flawed side to the great man that is pretty terrific. There's plenty for fans of early cinema to enjoy with fine detail regarding production and even the screenings themselves, which is something actually quite rare to see. Chaplin did lead quite a long and eventful life (a lot of movies, wives and children, claims of being a communist, rise and fall in popularity), and at nearly 2 and a half hours long this still really struggles to fit everything in as his wives come and go scene by scene without really knowing anything much about them. This was always going to be a slightly too ambitious project, and it is flawed, but it's still a very notable attempt to recreate the life of an icon.