Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Directed by: Jon Poll | 93 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, Tyler Hilton, Mark Rendall, Dylan Taylor, Megan Park, Jake Epstein, Jonathan Malen, Derek McGrath, Stephen Young, Ishan Davé, David Brown, Eric Fink

Anyone who has seen JJ Abrams’ “Star Trek” and has become interested in that funny Russian crew member with his thick accent and comedic comments should really check out the movie “Charlie Bartlett”. This original high school comedy stars young actor Anton Yelchin. It is because of his sympathetic appearance, disarming appearance and intelligent character that the film ‘Charlie Bartlett’ can be enjoyed for so long. The movie itself, like this actor, could have been a breath of fresh air in the genre, but unfortunately Hollywood machinations make for a horribly clinical outcome where everyone is happy and every dramatic storyline is resolved. A missed opportunity, because the first half of the film is promising and there is enough in ‘Charlie Bartlett’ for a film that is both funny and valuable in content.

The film has a nice concept, which contains familiar elements but still gives it its own twist. The fact of the sucker at a new school who is bullied by everyone but who is developing and who knows how to build a bond with (some) fellow students is well known. Films about a party animal who manages to get the whole school behind him and who creates a kind of anarchy through his rebellion have also appeared before. ‘Charlie Bartlett’ combines these two types of films. Charlie is a sucker only because he is a rich kid who is out of place with his jacket and briefcase at the public school he has to attend because he has been expelled from many private schools for illegal activities. But he doesn’t come across as pathetic, because he doesn’t seem really insecure or unstable. Nor is he arrogant or distant. On the contrary, he is open and nice to everyone. In addition, he is intelligent and, even though he is beaten up by the school bully the first day, the viewer always has the idea that he finds something on it. And he does.

After being prescribed Ritalin by his on-call psychiatrist and getting really high because of it, he gets the idea to sell these drugs to his fellow students for big money. After all, everyone is looking for ways to get high. Soon he has a thriving business and he also operates as a surrogate psychiatrist from his own “practice” in the boys’ toilet. Surprisingly enough, the latter is also dramatically effective. It is also a nice method of practice. As a psychiatrist, he is in one cubicle, and his patient is in the next cubicle, where they do not see each other. In a fairly anonymous state, as if in a confessional, the students can tell their story. Charlie also seems genuinely interested in helping his fellow students. When a severely depressed student appears next to him, he consults all kinds of medical books, in addition to the consultation of his own psychiatrist, to help the boy with advice and the right medication.

The romantic story in the film—Charlie falls for the director’s daughter (Robert Downey, Jr.)—is also touching, and the moment she takes a seat in his “office” to talk about her alcoholic father comes across naturally and cares. for a stronger bond with Charlie, whose family is also far from perfect. For a long time ‘Charlie Bartlett’ seems to be an above-average good and entertaining film, but almost all the goodwill that is cultivated in the first half of the film is broken by the last act of the film. Every sharp edge or dramatic storyline apparently has to be polished off the film or solved perfectly. It’s almost nauseating. The school bully turns out to be a good guy and a theatrical talent. He confides to Charlie that he would really like to take the prettiest girl in school on a date, with flowers and dinner. And of course this happens. Then Bartlett’s suicidal classmate gets the opportunity to produce his own play, Charlie knows about the bond between alcoholic director Downey, Jr. and his daughter again, and cultivates a more mature relationship with his own mother, who has to treat him more like a child while she is a kind of child herself. And everything feels too artificial in the end. Charlie is raised by his mother, and his (new) girlfriend by her father, which makes up a full family again (with mutual mother/father figures) and almost no part of the dialogue or scene is not intended as a set-up that comes back later, as in the case of a song that Charlie plays with his girlfriend on the piano at his house, which is later sung by her again in the play.

There is a lot going on in the last act of the film to get excited about, but luckily the film is still good to digest for quite some time. Despite the weak ending, which virtually nullifies any dramatic point or intellectual stimulus, ‘Charlie Bartlett’ is still well worth watching. Look at Anton Yelchin, at the fun situations and the nice concept, and forget the syrupy ending.