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Charlie
Bartlett
(2007)
This teen comedy had its release date changed several times before it
was finally dumped in the off-season, usually a good indication that a
film isn't very good. Not this time. This one is actually a quite
good and quite funny film about teens and their problems.
Rich kid Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) gets kicked out of yet
another private school, so his mother (Hope Davis) sends him to a
public school. He doesn't fit in at first, being mocked for his style
of dress and beaten up by the school bully (Tyler Hilton). After
being prescribed Ritalin by a psychiatrist and enjoying its effects,
Charlie begins to sell his pills to other students. With his
popularity suddenly rising, Charlie decides to counsel his fellow
students and get them the drugs they need to deal with their emotional
problems, a course of action that puts him in conflict with the
school's alcoholic principal (Robert Downey Jr.) while also winning
Charlie the affections of the principal's teenaged daughter Susan (Kat
Dennings).
First time feature film director Jon Poll (a former film editor whose
credits include Monkeybone and Meet the Fockers) takes a decidedly
low key approach to the story that allows for a surprisingly
thoughtful examination of teen angst. The screenplay by Gustin Nash
is a refreshing 21st century take on the time honored student vs.
principal genre, resembling as much as anything a darker John Hughes
film filled with edgy satire but still having an emotional core that
understands its characters' need for popularity and self-expression as
they're poised between the worlds of childhood and adulthood. If some
of it seems familiar at times, its snarky sense of humor (right down
to "no teenagers were harmed during the making of this movie" in the
end credits) and engaging cast allow it to rise above that.
Yelchin's combination of vulnerability and quiet charm brings the
title character to life with a subtle shading rare for such a young
actor. He's someone to keep your eye on as his career develops
further. Downey's performance reveals a keen understanding of what
makes his character tick, a man who routinely drowns his pain in
alcohol, and he's able to bring some depth to the role that makes him
more interesting than just being the authority figure tying to keep
the crazy kids down. Dennings supplies some fresh-faced charm as
Charlie's love interest.
The supporting cast is also very good, including Davis as Charlie's
ditzy mother, Hilton as the school bully, Mark Rendall as an outcast
who expresses himself by writing a play, Dylan Taylor as a mentally
handicapped student befriended by Charlie, Derek McGrath as the
tough-minded superintendent, and David Brown as a sympathetic police
officer.
I have to admit, I liked both Charlie Bartlett the film and Charlie
Bartlett the character. There's a certain sweetness to both of them
that allows the film's message that the problems of young adults are
ignored or minimized by those around them, including authority
figures, to resonate with some emotional depth. Also, and perhaps more importantly,
it's just plain funny.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
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All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
John
Poll
Writer: Gustin
Nash
Starring: Anton
Yelchin, Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, Robert Downey Jr., Tyler Hilton, Mark Rendall
Distributor: MGM
Runtime: 97
min
Rating: R
Release Date: February
22, 2008
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