Thursday, June 09, 2022
Chaplin
- Commentary: The Roll Dance, a piece of music written for, and from, this movie, perfectly encapsulates what I love about this movie. For me, it doesn't just reflect the scene in which it's played. It reflects the entire ambience of this bio-pic: upbeat, with a hint of the unsettled, a hint of trauma, a hint of being provoked simultaneously to a need to be uplifting while also acknowledging the tragedy that dogs one's footsteps throughout life.
Robert Downey, Jr., in my opinion, was the perfect actor to play Chaplin. He has the same tendency as Julia Roberts, to be "Robert Downey, Jr. playing ... ", but, while this irritates me in Julia Roberts it delights me in Robert Downey, Jr. Robert Downey, Jr. is, for instance, Iron Man, as he says in the movie Iron Man. He is Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder. And, he is Chaplin in this movie.
Granted, it is a bit disturbing to see Robert Downey, Jr. in the sequences where he is playing Chaplin as an old man; something about the make-up job. It's not bad and it's not good, but I guess aging make-up hadn't been perfected at the time of this production. Nonetheless, I believe him as old Chaplin.
Finally, it is impossible for me to watch this movie and not be transported by the scintilating perfection of its production. I've been wanting to own this movie forever. I've had it for about three months, now, and, call me crazy, but I've watched it at least three times since I received it. In fact, I think I'll watch it again, tonight!
A bynote: Roger Ebert (who's review is linked to the title of this post) did not like this movie. He considered it an insult to the man it portrayed. I have no quibble with his criticisms, but, damnit I really like the film. I've watched it a lot. I'm not opposed to Ebert's criticism, but neither am I swayed by it.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robert Downey Jr. Charlie Chaplin Marisa Tomei Mabel Normand Geraldine Chaplin Hannah Chaplin Paul Rhys Sidney Chaplin John Thaw Fred Karno Moira Kelly Hetty Kelly Francesca Buller Minnie Chaplin Nancy Travis Joan Barry Anthony Hopkins George Hayden Dan Ackroyd Mack Sennett Penelope Ann Miller Edna Purviance Kevin Kline Douglas Fairbanks Matthew Cottle Stan Laurel Maria Pitillo Mary Pickford Milla Jovovich Mildred Harris Kevin Dunn J. Edgar Hoover Deborah Moore Lita Grey Diane Lane Paulette Goddard James Woods Joseph Scott David Duchovny Roland Totheroh
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1992
Directed by Richard Attenborough.
Labels: anthony-hopkins, biography1, charlie-chaplin, dramedy1, historical1, james-woods, kevin-kline, period1, political1, reflective, robert-downey-jr
