"Charlie Bartlett" is an amiable comedy/drama, made better by Anton Yelchin's performance and a good premise. I cannot pretend that it is an amazing movie, nor can I claim that it is extremely original (in fact, it is in a long line of indie teen 'quirkies.') I did, however, like this film, and I thought that, although it was far from mind-blowing, it was fun and clever (if a bit used.)
Yelchin plays the title character, an misfit rich kid who wants desperately to be liked. In his quest for popularity, he is caught making fake IDs for fellow students and kicked out of his Elite private school. This is not his first expulsion, and his mom decides to try sending him to public school, as well as to a psychiatrist for his problems paying attention.
When Charlie goes to public school, he doesn't exactly do a good job of fitting in. Actually, he arrives at school in his old uniform and armed with an briefcase. This makes him a clear target for the school bully, who promptly sticks his head down a toilet. On his way home from the first day, the only person who sits next to him is Len, a retarded kid his age.
At the psychiatrist's, he is prescribed with Ritalin, to see if the drug helps him concentrate. When he takes it, it effects him quite the opposite. Twitchy, drugged, and temporarily disoriented, he runs through the neighborhood in his underwear, jerks like Tourette's Syndrome sufferer, and spends hours talking to himself in his empty swimming pool. After it's over, he comes up with a fool-proof way to make friends- pass on the Ritalin to his classmates.
As it turns out, the drugs are a big success. The students, invigorated by the temporary buzz, all but accept him as one of their own. Later, one depressed-looking student asked him for some real advice on how to deal with his panic attacks. So Charlie goes to his shrink, passing off the boy's illness as his own and getting some pills, as well as looking up information on it so that he has some advice to give him.
Soon enough, multiple students come to him looking for help with their problems. He even gets the attention of the principal's pretty daughter, Susan (Kat Dennings.) However, Susan's father (Robert Downey, Jr.) is convinced that Charlie is up to something, and sure enough, disaster strikes, Charlie is blamed, and is told to stay away from Susan. By this time, he's figured out that the principal has some problems of his own. As people's issues weigh down on him, he begins to realize that he can't be a grown-up for everyone.
Charlie is a likable character, despite his messed-up tendencies. The first thirty-or-so minutes of this film are often very humorous, especially Charlie's behavior while high on Ritalin and his over-the-top performance at the audition. Unfortunately, about one-third through it decides to become serious, upsetting the tone. Some seriousness is expected of a movie like this, but the directer forgets to add more humor around the ending, leaving the story tilting precariously between quirky-funny and sad-dark. Also, some of the aspects of the plot are illogical and feel 'written.' I guess I shouldn't take the movie so seriously, but even in a comedy, you generally shouldn't stretch too much credibility. For instance, why does Charlie feel the need to appoint the school bully to help him hand out pills? Wouldn't it be easier to get Len, who already likes him, to aid him? The 'bully' twist is there to help the story, for sure, but I wondered why he would risk getting his head shoved down a toilet instead of just getting his retarded friend to help.
Although it is not 'incredible' by a long shot, "Charlie Bartlett" is, all in all, a likable film. it's a movie that's good to rent if you're looking for something that has some brains but doesn't require quite as much thinking. I know it most likely won't win any Academy Awards, but I enjoyed it and found it entertaining (Rated R.)
Yelchin plays the title character, an misfit rich kid who wants desperately to be liked. In his quest for popularity, he is caught making fake IDs for fellow students and kicked out of his Elite private school. This is not his first expulsion, and his mom decides to try sending him to public school, as well as to a psychiatrist for his problems paying attention.
When Charlie goes to public school, he doesn't exactly do a good job of fitting in. Actually, he arrives at school in his old uniform and armed with an briefcase. This makes him a clear target for the school bully, who promptly sticks his head down a toilet. On his way home from the first day, the only person who sits next to him is Len, a retarded kid his age.
At the psychiatrist's, he is prescribed with Ritalin, to see if the drug helps him concentrate. When he takes it, it effects him quite the opposite. Twitchy, drugged, and temporarily disoriented, he runs through the neighborhood in his underwear, jerks like Tourette's Syndrome sufferer, and spends hours talking to himself in his empty swimming pool. After it's over, he comes up with a fool-proof way to make friends- pass on the Ritalin to his classmates.
As it turns out, the drugs are a big success. The students, invigorated by the temporary buzz, all but accept him as one of their own. Later, one depressed-looking student asked him for some real advice on how to deal with his panic attacks. So Charlie goes to his shrink, passing off the boy's illness as his own and getting some pills, as well as looking up information on it so that he has some advice to give him.
Soon enough, multiple students come to him looking for help with their problems. He even gets the attention of the principal's pretty daughter, Susan (Kat Dennings.) However, Susan's father (Robert Downey, Jr.) is convinced that Charlie is up to something, and sure enough, disaster strikes, Charlie is blamed, and is told to stay away from Susan. By this time, he's figured out that the principal has some problems of his own. As people's issues weigh down on him, he begins to realize that he can't be a grown-up for everyone.
Charlie is a likable character, despite his messed-up tendencies. The first thirty-or-so minutes of this film are often very humorous, especially Charlie's behavior while high on Ritalin and his over-the-top performance at the audition. Unfortunately, about one-third through it decides to become serious, upsetting the tone. Some seriousness is expected of a movie like this, but the directer forgets to add more humor around the ending, leaving the story tilting precariously between quirky-funny and sad-dark. Also, some of the aspects of the plot are illogical and feel 'written.' I guess I shouldn't take the movie so seriously, but even in a comedy, you generally shouldn't stretch too much credibility. For instance, why does Charlie feel the need to appoint the school bully to help him hand out pills? Wouldn't it be easier to get Len, who already likes him, to aid him? The 'bully' twist is there to help the story, for sure, but I wondered why he would risk getting his head shoved down a toilet instead of just getting his retarded friend to help.
Although it is not 'incredible' by a long shot, "Charlie Bartlett" is, all in all, a likable film. it's a movie that's good to rent if you're looking for something that has some brains but doesn't require quite as much thinking. I know it most likely won't win any Academy Awards, but I enjoyed it and found it entertaining (Rated R.)
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