Review of Charlie Countryman (2013) by Mr. B — 16 Dec 2013

Wish him luck, he's going to need it.

When going to a far away land, be sure to wrap your mind around where you are going and what you'll be getting yourself into. That is unless fate steps in and guides you through a journey toward your own demise. Fate has a terrible way of screwing up your chances. Especially when you've just found the girl of your dreams. Death should never be associated with fate, but it is and accepting that is all we can do. Now love, on the other hand, can be something to fight for if you have the balls enough to accept your fate. To fight and die over love, now that is so much sweeter than death.

Charlie's mother gets the plug pulled on her and she passes on. Through an odd way, he is able to talk to her after she passes. Her ghost, I think, tells him to go to Bucharest, Romania. He chats up with a kindly Romanian man on the flight who also passes on. Charlie must have a unique ability to talk to the dead because even the Romanian man speaks to him. He tells him to get in touch with his daughter and deliver her present to her. He does so, but gets smitten by her beauty.

She plays violin, has short red hair, pale skin, dark eyes and her name is Gabi. Their shared connection is through the deaths of their parents. A mutual understanding between dealing with the deaths of their loved ones is reached by exchanging out the painful memories of seeing a loved one die for those better memories. That's the healing process. Through memories of what was good. Moving forward is always tricky which is where Gabi's sadistic maniac for an ex steps in.

Nigel is a crazy man who obsesses over Gabi. Her love story with Nigel was through her violin. When Nigel was wounded, he could hear her play out the window. Every day it healed him and he fell in love. Gabi was smitten by him, but his lies is what costed him her in the end. Mainly because he's a murderer for some underground crime organization. Good thing Charlie fell for her now. Nigel's sadistic nature bridges a gap between Charlie and Gabi's love story. Making it more of a challenge for love to triumph in the end.

Does it in the end? Well, I guess you'll just have to find out for yourselves.

This was a well made little adventure through the streets and alleys of Bucharest, Romania. Evan Rachel Wood melted my heart with her Romanian accent and Shia LaBeouf does a good job as Charlie. Favorite scene would have to be when Charlie chases Gabi as she's heading home. He pretends to casually walk along side of her to keep with her wishes of not wanting someone to walk her home. Then a lovers chase happens as he tries to keep up with her. I liked that. The direction is very Trainspotting-esq and much of it's story was over embellished to create a unique experience of love & fate.