Chaplin

Not entirely sure how I feel about it. RDJ is a nearly flawless Chaplin, but the details regarding his life swing between boringly truthful, ridiculously embellished, but often a fair depiction of one of Cinema's most iconic founders. The scene where it becomes an homage to Chaplin's Tramp persona outsmarting cops was brilliant, and I would have liked to see more scenes like it. Side note: how they characterized Mary Pickford in this film is a crime!

Thoroughly humanistic and very classy portrayal of Chaplin's life and work. The somewhat simplistic portrayals of Sennett, Fairbanks, Pickford et al take a little away from the believability, but thanks to Downey Jr's pinpoint precise turn as Chaplin himself and a balanced mix of scenes evoking at turns the hilarious and the emotional turmoil behind The Tramp's smiley-faced exterior, "Chaplin" never outstays its welcome. Unfortunately also made me buy "The Kid", "City Lights" etc. on blu-ray!

Robert Downey Jr.'s performance is spectacular, and elevates this somewhat formulaic bio-pic to great heights. It's an interesting lesson in film history, as I'd never heard of Doug Fairbanks or Mack Sennett before this (and it helps that they're played wonderfully by Kline and Aykroyd, respectively). Aspects of Chaplin's family life bored me, but watching him become inspired to make his films is, well, inspiring. The "silent film" sequence during the editing of The Kid is a pure joy to watch.

A great performance by Robert Downey, Jr. isn't enough to make this good film a great one.

A very charming film, mostly due to the fact that its about Chaplin. Robert Downey Jr is incredible as Chaplin. I really enjoyed this film, though many parts of the film were rather rushed, it still showed Chaplins long life span marvelously in just over 2 hours.

A bit on the shallow side, but an entertaining biopic. Downey is great as Chaplin, and Kline is equally so as Douglas Fairbanks

Robert Downey Jr. is amazing as Charlie Chaplin. He got his gestures and mannerisms down to a T. My main complaint with the movie is that I would have liked to see more of the actual making of the movies. But still, it was fun to watch the life of such an important and interesting filmmaker. On an unrelated note, it blows my mind that this movie got a PG-13 with numerous breast shots and multiple f-words, while the director's cut of Amadeus got an R for one brief breast shot. Screw the MPAA.

This movie is worth watching due to an outstanding performance by Robert Downey Jr's performance. The film is to long and makes some unusual choices for a biopic. But this film is still worth watching for Downey's performance.

Plot 13/20 Fiction 13/20 Casting/Acting 18/20 Worldbuilding 17/20 Entertainment 12/20

Seen: 2.

A laudatory but surprisingly critical brief on the life of cinema's greatest icon that cannot, for obvious reasons, emulate his comic style as well as it dramatizes the harsher parts of his life. Like many biopics, it has an issue with length even as it skims over important creative and personal periods, but as a trade-off, it doesn't shy away from Chaplin's sketchy womanizing (even if it's clearly on his side and overtly sexualizes a 16-year-old). Entertaining but flawed, like the man himself.

how could all of these competent actors be so god damn bad

78.500

Not only a great biopic of the legendary film innovator, but a serviceable period piece as well. Chaplin shows the struggle between a stars success and his own self image very well, allowing Robert Downey Jr to shine and give one of the best performances of his career. By no means perfect, but one movie fans will love.

Your typical stock, sycophantic biopic that reduces the lives of incredibly complex individuals to "overcoming adversity." Downey Jr. is incredibly, unsurprisingly. It's a shame the film's complacency to be utterly average is unsurprising as well.

Downey nails Chaplin and his performance alone would make it worth a watch. As a bonus the story is great even if some things feel glossed over( this is helped by the almost meta way the whole thing is told as Chaplin to a biographer ignoring things he doesnt want to talk about). Very few biographies feel human to me but this one did.

An exquisite performance from RDJ and the usual masterful direction of R. Attenborough make this a must-see biopic about an icon of film.

Robert Downey Jr. proves that not only his an extremely pretty drug addict, he's an extremely pretty drug addict with real talent But not even his considerable charm and inventiveness as an actor can make this creaky biopic-told-as-flashbacks consistently watchable. No one could sell the embarrassing scene in the costume shop where he "finds his look", and the bathetic final scene is more than anyone should be required to stomach. Dan Aykroyd does great work as Mack Sennett.

A classroom presentation of how to make a solid biopic, and as such it never reaches any grand heights. The most prevailing reason to watch it should be Downey Jr., who transforms so admirably, it's still surprising in this era where he's a bonafide megastar.

I read the book and had seen most of his feature length films. Finding a copy of this movie took me forever though. Netflix didn't have it and streaming wasn't a common thing yet. Ended up driving way out of my way to a Blockbuster out in the middle of nowhere to rent and watch it. I don't regret it. Really enjoyed this film and Downey Jr.'s performance.

Downey's persuasive lead performance is the chief attraction of uneven biopic, which works best in its opening scenes providing a fascinating overview of behind-the-scenes on a silent movie shoot (with Aykroyd a glorious Mack Sennett). Much of the film's second half dealing with Edgar Hoover's pursuit of Chaplin is more muddled and less successful, not helped by Dunn's inneffectual performance, but the rest of the eclectic cast at least hold some interest. Framing device dealing wit

Robert Downey Jr. was pretty perfect in the role; sometimes making me forget that he wasn't actually Chaplin. There was also a great supporting cast. The film was a fairly typical biography movie, but still nice and not feeling long, despite its nearly 2.5-hour runtime. Overall, it was an entertaining film about an incredibly talented, complex and interesting man.

I didn't expect Robert Downey Jr. to be able to pull of Charlie Chaplin, but I think he did a surprisingly good job. The movie as a whole does a great honor to Chaplin, and by the end I felt like I wanted to see every single one of his movies. I'm surprised this doesn't get more attention.

4- might want to skip this one, not that hot

because i'm in film school dad :o(

Robert Downey Jr. is Charlie Chaplin and even though the film at times get a little tacky (e.g. the "invention" of the tramp) it is a great portrayal of one of the greatest comedians who has ever lived. Once you've seen this YouTube the clip of Charlie returning to America to receive his honorary Oscar. Gives me the chills every time!

"Chaplin" is an enjoyable, compelling biopic -albeit one that neither surprises with its structural choices nor enlightens with fresh insights into Chaplin's life and persona. Downey Jr. delivers a strong, nuanced performance to contrast the flatness of the script which draws a merely superficial portrait of Chaplin. However, thanks to the impressive cast, Attenborough's steady hand and the interesting subject, the film is always pleasant and there's a fair amount of both funny and sad moments.

One of the best of the docudramas.

The movie is much less amazing than Chaplin's life.

Yep, it's a biopic alright.

I'm a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, so I was looking with great anticipation back in 1992 when Richard Attenborough made this film. This is my second viewing, and upon finishing it, I realized that I liked it a whole lot more the first time I watched it. I think this film should have dealt with more of Chaplin's woes during the late 40's and early 50's, and not just brushed aside their importance. All in all, it's an OK biography of one of the great artists of cinema.

A classy silent entry into the tome of PG boobs.

Great acting, but rather forgettable biopic of a unforgettable film icon.

Sorry to say that though he is one of my favorites, I didn't buy Downey Jr. for a sec as Chaplin. He just couldn't make the story come alive.

Very underrated movie, and one I specially have difficulties to understand bad critics. If there's so much about his liaisons in this movie, so many that some people only appear to see that... why is that what I remember less? I only watched it once 5 years ago, and I still could describe several good and emotive sequences, and none of them have any relation with his lovers. I just remember they caused him some conflicts, but not any specific content and not more time than necessary.

Not what i expected, I think the reaction to Downey's performance is a bit exaggerated, he is outstanding while playing The Tramp or other Chaplin characters but when performing Chaplin himself, he's not that convincing and the make up never helps.. The film itself is too complicated, no great storytelling here.. Too fast even when they left almost everything out.

Downey Jr's performance carries the film. He transforms himself into Chaplin and doesn't shy away from every detail. He nails it. I also loved the feel of the film. A la film film-noir but less... Noir. It's the classic Hollywood feel and look that makes it so appealing. Also, a film about film making is always inrteresting. The opening credits sequence was beatiful also. Very well done.

Downey Jr is extraordinary, and really is the only reason to watch this film more than once.

RDJ is amazing, and so is Chaplin!

It's not bad considering how difficult would be to make a Biography movie about Charles Chaplin,besides I was already expecting to miss something at the end of the movie, even so I think that Robert Downey Jr. was very good in the role... Not a waste of time.

A pretty decent insight into the life and mind of one of cinemas most cherished stars. Downey is absolutely incredible as Chaplin and really brings alot of life and energy to the role. But the movie is sadly full of some serious blunders. First off the narration over the film is just incredibly aggravating as is the flash forwards. It was a bit to "greatest hits" for me as a biopic and it felt like that the majority of the female characters were flat and not well developed.

Great bio film with good little Chaplin film clips worked in. However, it doesn't show quite the full depth of the complicated Chaplin.

Downey Jr. is amazing!

Downey, Jr. is fantastic...the patchwork plot glued together with flagrant exposition, not so much.

An unusual biopic which is both tragic and humerous in turn. Well acted and true to the life of Chaplin. Cinematography is especially good giving a real feel of the time and the story leaves the viewer with a real insight into this character for good and ill.

ok

An alright biopic, with the mandatory lascivious stare into the subject's love life. Robert Downey Jr. in the role of his career.

Interesting film. Good performances

I was very pleased with the way Attenborough handled this, and Downey Jr. pretty much nailed it. Quite a compelling film, but then again, I love Chaplin.

Good.