Chaplin

I went through a huge Charlie Chaplin phase a couple years back. His work is some of the most defining work in the entire history of film. Spanning from the early days of silent film, through the advent of talkies, reaching all the way into the 70s; Chaplin saw the major changes that happened to cinema.

So how does one make a biopic about this man?

Well, first one calls upon someone who had already done exceptional biopics: Richard Attenborough, who most famously directed Gandhi.

Next is the actor, and some people who have never heard of the Chaplin biopic will be surprised that Robert Downey Jr. — yes,Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes himself– portrayed the late great Chaplin.

He does so perfectly,  and he garnered himself an Oscar nom.

The movie draws strongly from Chaplin’s autobiography, as we see him from a wee little toddler, up until his last days.

We see the glitz and glamour of early Hollywood, the inspiration of his most famous movies and scenes, his infamous and publicized love affairs, and most importantly his dealings with the FBI thinking he was a Communist. It’s all there.

So, if you want to see the life of one of the most influential and greatest actors of all time, or just want a history lesson on early filmmaking, then you should check out this film.

It is available on Amazon to rent for $3, to own on DVD for $6 and blu ray for $10.