Review of Charlie Bartlett (2008) by Zac N — 09 Aug 2009

Really funny absurdist/dark (don't know if that's the best way to describe it. maybe "quirky" is better than "absurdist/dark") comedy. The script is well-written, and the directing of Jon Poll executes it fittingly. At first, the film may seem liek your normal teen film where guy gets girl, guy loses girl over an epic misunderstanding, then guy gets back with girl after the misunderstanding is cleared up. However, that's not what happens at all. Sure, the film is predictable in some areas, but it doesn't follow that traditional formula at all. As a matter of fact, the guy gets the girl and they stay together throughout the course of the film. And the film ends on a pretty funny note, although it's a bit random.

And then comes the cast of the film. Without the perfect casting, this film would not work on any level. Anton Yelchin puts in a great performance as the title character, Tyler Hilton puts in a surprisingly good effort as the bully-turned-nice-guy Murphey Bivens, Hope Davis is hilarious as Charlie's overtolerant mother Marilyn, Mark Rendall is good as the depressed Kip Crombwell, Kat Dennings plays her girlfriend role of Susan Gardner excellently, and Robert Downey, Jr. gives (another) great performance as Principal Nathan Gardner (yes, he is Susan's father).

Good movie. Highly recommended for those who liek teen movies and (somewhat) satirical comedies.