Chaplin (1992) Review:

Among the movie industry, several Hollywood actors have come and gone. Many are remembered for their roles in various films, but the ones that have been immortalized were the pioneers of the era. Some have come even before the time when films contained sound. Of this category, Charlie Chaplin was one of those innovators. Making a name for himself by making several of his own movies before he even hit 30 years of age, Chaplin made it big far in advance. No surprise that a biopic was made on the thespian too. For what it's worth, it was a very well constructed film. Also it is one the films that put Robert Downey Jr. on the map.

Downey Jr. as Chaplin

Headed by Richard Attenborough, the same director of Gandhi (1982), audiences get to see how Charlie Chaplin came to be. With the help of writers William  Boyd, Bryan Forbes and William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)), this crew was able to put together an engaging drama  that reflects on Chaplin's life experiences, through his eyes. Playing Chaplin in his good likeness is Robert Downey Jr., who at the time was still finding his place. This really could have been the movie that made his career, but that wouldn't be until Marvel's Iron Man  (2008). Starting out though, this was a good first step.

Along with him are numerous other well known faces like Geraldine Chaplin playing Charlie's mother. Paul Rhys plays Chaplin's step brother Sydney. Anthony Hopkins plays the author who talks to Chaplin in his older years. Kevin Kline plays Douglas Fairbanks, a close friend of Chaplin. Moira Kelly plays Oona, Chaplin's final wife. There's also appearances by Dan Aykroyd, Marisa Tomei, Penelope Ann Miller, Maria Pitillo, Milla Jovovich, Kevin Dunn, Diane Lane, Nancy Travis and James Woods. All of which give believable performances in the characters they portray that were apart of Chaplin's life experiences. There is one flaw to the screenplay though.

While the film has plenty of run time to explore certain aspects of Chaplin's life events, there seem to be too many characters for the story to cover. Certain individuals arrive and leave not long after each other, with very little said about them. If this be the case, leave them out entirely. However this doesn't mean the dramatic elements to the story aren't effective. Several points are made throughout Chaplin's lifetime, displaying how much he played with fire. Whether that be making films involving politics, or having personal issues with his estranged wives that left him over the years due to his obsessive work life. He had a lot going on all the time.

"And I,...Anthony Hopkins,....looked old...."

The cinematography handled by Sven Nykvist was well shot. There's lots of practical sets featured within this film. Some are behind the scenes to other films Chaplin made in his career, which is very cool to see. Then there's John Barry who worked as the composer for this movie. The music is one the most beautiful renaissance sounding scores heard and Barry provides a theme for the film too. While the entire album itself is not as long as the feature, it captures all the right cues that are absolutely iconic. The tone that is heard is a romantic, yet melancholy mix. One of Barry's best compositions for any collector.

Numerous characters to keep track of can be a bit much for viewers, but that's the only trouble this film has. RDJ charms as he becomes Chaplin with a deep story, classic camerawork and wonderful sounding music. Not to mention all the actors who take part in it too.

Points Earned --> 8:10