Movie Notes: Charlie Bartlett

September 27th, 2008

Charlie Bartlett

= 3 stars

Starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis
Directed by Jon Poll

Synopsis

Rich, bright Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is transferred to a new high school, and unofficially becomes the school’s psychiatrist, dispensing advice and drugs, much to the annoyance of principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.).

The Good

Two interesting performances: Anton Yelchin – completely new to me – is solidly charismatic – I think he’ll go on to much bigger things. Then there’s the increasingly reliable Robert Downey Jr., who at one point discusses quitting drugs, that is given an odd gravitas based on the actor’s personal history.

The Bad

Minus the gloss and current cultural references, all that’s left is a teen angst, high-school sucks flick. It’s often similar (and often inferior) to 80s John Hughes movies, most notably Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The female love interest with wide, brown eyes, visually resembles Ferris’ Sloane.
One song from Harold and Maude is given a new context and implied meaning – totally unsure what was meant by that.
A missed opportunity to say something novel or poignant about over-medicated teenagers.

Conclusion

While the entire flick often feels like a retread, it does have a redeeming performance by Yelchin that held my interest throughout. That to me deserves an extra star, and makes Charlie Bartlett totally harmless as a rental. And if you’re under 21, you may think this is the best flick evar.

IMDB: Charlie Bartlett
Wikipedia: Charlie Bartlett
Rotten Tomatoes: Charlie Bartlett 55%