I ticked another film off my “films I should’ve seen by now but haven’t” list last night, (for every one I tick off I seem to add another three! 😵
Chaplin (1992)
I used to buy a lot of videos (VHS) back in my teens and I remember the trailer to this movie being at the beginning of a lot of the films I bought. Somehow though, like a lot of other movies, I’ve only just watched it now.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a biographical drama about the life of Charlie Chaplin.
It’s directed by the late Richard Attenborough and has an all star cast including, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Marisa Tomei (Anger Management), Kevin Klein (A Fish Called Wanda) and Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) to name just a few.
The film also stars Charlie Chaplin’s own daughter, Geraldine Chaplin in the role of his mother. Before watching this last night I’d only seen her in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and I had no clue who she was till I saw her name on the opening credits and looked her up.
I don’t usually lean towards these kinds of films. I’m a bit of an escapism/fiction movie fan at heart but I’d heard and read a lot about this movie over the years, and being a fan of Robert Downey Jr. I felt compelled to watch it to see what all the fuss was about.
It’s actually quite sad.
I didn’t know much at all about Charlie Chaplin before watching this film so it was all news to me. I didn’t realise how hard he had it early on in his life and how much tragedy he endured. Despite being hugely successful, he was actually quite a sad character (or so the movie paints it).
Robert Downey Jr. puts in a superb performance as the man himself, and the supporting cast are all on top form too.
Incidentally, the film absolutely tanked at the box office but Robert Downey Jr’s performance won him a BAFTA for best actor.
This is a moving and educational story about one of the biggest, most loved and most important figures in the history of the film industry. It may not be for everyone but if you like biographical films you might want to give it a watch. I rented it off Sky for £2.79.
Seen it? What did you think? 🤔
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