Chaplin

A life running from a childhood in the poor districts of London to the most recognisable face in Hollywood, and from there into exile from America. Richard Attenborough directed. Robert Downey Jr. plays Charlie Chaplin. The cast is deep: Dan Aykroyd, Kevin Kline, Anthony Hopkins. The strangest casting decision involves Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's daughter, who plays his mother Hannah Chaplin, which is to say her own grandmother. The lead was contested. Attenborough considered other names, among them Antony Sher, while the studio preferred Robin Williams or Billy Crystal. Attenborough held out for Downey. The reviews split on the film, praising the production and criticising the standard biography shape. Downey's performance was the point of agreement. He won the BAFTA for Best Actor and was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The box office was a heavy disappointment: 12 million dollars against a 31 million budget. Who it is for: viewers who want an introduction to Chaplin and anyone who wants to see Downey's transformation. Who it is not for: anyone tired of biopic conventions. The film runs a straight line from birth to death and takes no risk anywhere.