I had never seen this movie, that put Robert Downey Jr. on the map as one of the top Hollywood actors, but I always wanted to...And after seeing Chaplin: The Movie (1992, I realized I should have seen this masterpiece years ago.
The movie traces the life and career of Charlie Chaplin, one of Hollywood's most legendary figures and the creator of the iconic character, The Little Tramp. From his beginnings in Vaudeville on the London circuit, the movie is beautiful to look at, and the settings are perfect...the dirtiness of London at the end of the 1800's is almost visceral. The acting of the kids portraying the young Chaplin, from boyhood through adolescence is excellent. You see the underpinnings of Chaplin's sadness (that is the basis of all good comedy) and his enmity towards the establishment is seeded in his early experiences of being sent to the work house as a boy.
And then taking on the role of Chaplin from a young man to an old man is the absolutely brilliant Downey. He was Chaplin. He embodied him, he breathed him, he became him. From his start in the early comedic, silent movies we see his creation of The Little Tramp, the character who starred in hundreds of short and long movies.
The grand Hollywood legends are here...especially Douglas Fairbanks, who was one of Chaplin's closest friends. The atmosphere is rich with star power and with Chaplain's poor choices in women. One failed relationship after the other and as his true relationship, the one he valued over all the others, was his craft, his art.
The talkies are coming, and Chaplain reluctantly adapted, taking on Hitler and the Nazis in his satiric and biting "The Great Dictator." But along the way he crossed paths and made an enemy of J. Edgar Hoover, who saw in "The Great Dictator" a indictment of all authority, and goes after Chaplin in the McCarthy hearings.
We follow now into his old age, living away from the U.S. And Downey stays with the character so well, and looks like him as an older man too. He is given an honorary Oscar and allowed to enter the U.S. for that. I looked at the actual clip of this on YouTube...Wow, Downey has him down pat!
A great film, Downey is surrounded by a supporting cast that is up to the task, Kevin Klein as Fairbanks especially, with small roles for Dan Aykroyd, Marisa Tomei and Diane Lane among others.
This film is funny, touching, moving, thoughtful and thought provoking. And above all, is Downey at his best.
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