Film Review

04 December 2008 03:10 BST

Charlie Bartlett

Directed by Jon Poll, out now in cinemas, starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr, Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, running time 97 mins.

In a nutshell...

Charming, 'indie', teen, popularity contest, comedy.

What's it all about?

Misunderstood, terminally spoiled brat Charlie Bartlett craves acceptance and popularity and will go to any length to achieve it.

However, after being ejected from every rich-kid school his prison-widowed mother can afford, Charlie heads into the dog-eat-dog world of a public high school – and it is here that he learns what is really important in life.

The film is in keeping with the kind of 'quirky-comedy-with-a-message' tone that made hits out of Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. Films that, despite having been backed by major distributors, have somehow managed to retain an 'indie' status.

Take a look below:


Who's in it?

In the title role is Anton Yelchin, whose movie credits include 2006's Alpha Dog and the upcoming reboot of the Star Trek franchise. However, TV credits such as a voyeuristic, potential serial killer in Criminal Minds make up the bulk of the teenager's work so far.

Robert Downey Jr puts down the heavy red and gold iron suit of his most recent cinematic incarnation to play a troubled school principal, whose daughter - played by relative newcomer Kat Dennings - becomes the focus of Bartlett's affections.

The film is directed by Jon Poll, who is also new to his role but has a host of editing credits to his name including Meet the Fockers, Scary Movie 3 and Austin Powers in Goldmember.

As an example...

"I get up in the morning, and I look in the mirror and I try and figure out just where I fit in. And, I draw a complete blank. You guys are looking to me to tell you what to do? You need to stop listening to me." - Charlie comes clean to his high school disciples.

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars

The film's chances of success will no doubt be bolstered by the fact that Hollywood is currently in love with 'smart' comedies in the vein of Rushmore and the subsequent work of its writer/director Wes Anderson.

However, the Academy is not prone to heaping praise on teenage drug stories – and if it is, then Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay may have just as much chance at next year's gongs.

What the others say

"After a strong start, the story ceases to challenge itself and its characters, offering easy options and a Prozac-soft finish." - Sam Toy, Empire

"This movie, unfortunately, wants me to like it so badly that it just throws everything out there so that I will embrace it. And I never did." – Matty Robinson, Filmspotting.

So is it any good?

Charlie Bartlett wants everyone to be loved and accepted by all around him - and as a means of doing this he wants to hear about my problems, so here goes.

If you want to evoke memories of Ferris Bueller's Day Off while adding the kind of dark themes handled in the '90s by Pump Up The Volume and in the '00s with The Rules Of Attraction - you will have to do better than this.

For the most part Charlie Bartlett is a fun, breezy, coming of age tale which is written and performed well. But where the movie lets itself down is by not going far enough to address the questions it asks.

2006's Made In England told the tale of a lost kid looking for acceptance in the wrong places. The difference there, however, was there were consequences - brutal, affecting consequences.

Charlie Bartlett, on the other hand, doesn't want to scare you. He wants to show you that young people are over-medicated, suicidal and scared... and then he wants to send you off with a song.

If, like the central character, the film opted to explore its own purpose rather than looking to fit in with its peers, it might find that some things in life can't be fixed with a quirky tongue and a charming smile.

4/10

Noel Mellor

Test your film knowledge and win...