Charlie Bartlett

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The press notes for this movie claim that it was made from a script from a previously unpublished writer. I don't believe it.

A film this derivative, lazy and unoriginal is surely the work of a committee of bitter old hacks who figured there was still some income waiting to be hoovered from the pockets of the "youth market".

Charlie Bartlett is an eternally optimistic rebel who decides to spread the love to his less well-balanced classmates by setting up as an amateur psychiatrist - complete with prescriptions for anti-depressants.

If you've seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pump Up the Volume, My Bodyguard, Say Anything or - especially - Rushmore, then you could spend a tedious afternoon playing "spot the ripoff".

Or, if you've never seen anything on that list - and you really want to see Robert Downey Jr playing a grumpy, alcoholic high schoolteacher, like Matthew Broderick did in Election; where do those crazy film-makers get their ideas from? - then Charlie Bartlett might yield a few cheap laughs.

Charlie Bartlett
Director: Jon Poll
Starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr
Rated: M
Running time: 95 minutes
Trailer: Flicks.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Anton   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Graeme Tuckett is right about this film. I saw it last night and wish I hadnt bothered. All it does is rip off a whole lot of older teen movies. You might like it if you have never seen the films it rips off, but if you have then you will see this film for what it is, Plagiarism.

DK   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Having seen this movie a few months ago overseas, I have to say that I find this movie to be underated by the critic. Sure, I value the point that this is aimed at a younger audience for the purpose of hitting a key demographic, I still feel it originally potraits a character as unique as he is "optimistic"

If anything, this movie is about tackling the everyday struggle every person must face to keep in a positive state of mind and what we need to sacrifice to do that. Very well written and though I do concur, that some times in the movie, it borders around the cliche movies of this same genre, still worth a watch

I give it two thumbs up

Charlie   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

what an unoriginal review