DVD REVIEW

Charlie Bartlett

MGM Home Entertainment || R || June 24, 2008

Synopsis

The hero of the title (Anton Yelchin) gets kicked out of private school for selling fake IDs, so his heavily medicated mother (Hope Davis) transfers her son to a public institution.  Looking like a junior stockbroker in navy blazer and attaché case, he turns into a bully piñata, until he joins forces with surly dealer Murphey (Tyler Hilton) to sell prescription medication and split the profits.


Critique

“There’s more to high school than being well liked.”  This is what Charlie’s mother – a woman who washes down her Klonopin with a glass of white wine – tells him early in the film, just after he is kicked out of his elite private school.  That statement shows just how out of touch Charlie’s mother is.  Being well liked is the only thing that makes high school worth anything.  Nobody every learned anything wasting time in high school, and the whole point is to get out as quickly as possible.

When Charlie arrives as his new school, which looks like a demilitarized zone in comparison, he is quickly beaten up and shunned by the other students.  No one wants to know him.  Being the new kid in school (which I often was) sucks.  You have to earn your way in.  You have to be funny, outgoing; the other kids have to want to let you in.

Charlie does this by selling prescription drugs.  Once he starts fixing everybody up, he goes beyond being well liked to being the most popular guy in the school.

Charlie Bartlett presents itself and its main character as something like this generation’s Ferris Bueller.  Where Ferris Bueller ruled his high school by force of personality, Charlie Bartlett earns the thrown by what he can give his fellow students.  Charlie is too unassuming to ever be really believable; he doesn’t radiate the confidence that a strong hero needs.

The film misfires in many ways.  So much of the humor is flat and obvious.  This film could be so edgy, but everything is played too straight.  We see where things are going way too soon, and it’s hard to feel invested in the characters or the story.

The one saving grace is Robert Downey Jr.  Downey plays Principal Gardner, an administrator hated by pretty much all of his students, who hates the fact that he is so hated.  Gardner isn’t a bad guy.  He likes to drink, but who could blame him, and he was much happier being a math teacher.  Principal Gardner is the one character in the film we feel anything for, and Downey’s performance is stellar.  Downey has had so much press for his more embarrassing moments that his strength as an actor has been somewhat overshadowed.  Nearly every performance he gives has a personal feel to it, like he’s leaving a piece of himself on the screen.

Charlie Bartlett is a mildly amusing film that is ultimately disappointing.  The film is worth seeing for Downey, beyond that you’re just as well off randomly catching this on TV.


Video

Charlie Bartlett is presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.  The photography is pretty straightforward, but the presentation is sharp, and the color levels are well translated.


Audio

This disc is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround.  The levels are sharp and well balanced, and the overall presentation is crisp.


Special Features

Commentary With Director Jon Poll, and Actors Anton Yelchin and Kat Dennings: the actors do most of the talking here.  They are obviously having a good time, but this is only so interesting.

Commentary With Director Jon Poll and Writer Gustin Nash: this is a much more interesting commentary.  The two talk about how they came to work together, shooting the film and some of the changes that were made, the ideas behind the script and more.

Spiral Beach “Voodoo” Music Video: just that.

Restroom Confessional: more confessions from the cast and crew.


Final Thoughts

Charlie Bartlett is an amusing film that never really hits the heights of its potential.  The special features are good and the presentation is okay, but once is probably enough with this one.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

 

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Review posted on Jul 1, 2008 | Share this article | Top of Page

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