It was easy to have tempered expectations for Charlie Bartlett. The movie has been delayed numerous times since its original release date in August of last year – rarely a good sign. So while the trailer seemed really promising way back in the day, I did not go into the theater last night anticipating the knocking off of my socks. That’s probably a good attitude to have.
Ebert determines how good a movie is by considering not how great it is as compared to every movie ever, but rather if the flick accomplished what it set out to do. Bartlett’s purpose, though, is a little hard to discern. I wonder if the delay was due to some bigwig wanting the film recut in a different mold; I dreaded sitting down and having what I thought would be a dark R-rated comedy replaced by a sophomoric high school romp. There may have been some such element, because as is the movie tries to straddle the line between dramatic adult comedy and something with a broader appeal. It’s a testament mostly to the actors that it’s as watchable as it is.
Because it still is pretty good. Bartlett, the character, is eminently likable. He’s played by Anton Yelchin, born in Leningrad, and he benefits from it. Yelchin is clearly the kind of once-in-a-lifetime spark plug of a person that Charlie is supposed to be, so when he swings for the fences – in a drama audition or hamming it up at a piano – it works, despite how unrealistic it may to expect such theatrics from a high schooler. Expect more from this kid.
Speaking of realism, if you were one of the Negative Nancys that said Juno was too over-the-top, you’d better accept the rules of this world before you watch. It obviously takes place in a hyperbolic and Hollywoodized high school. The teen movie mainstays are less plot catalysts than they are elements of the backdrop. The punk clique assaults others on school grounds and videotapes their antics, while stoners pass joints on the sidewalk just before the bell rings. When Charlie begins his amateur analyses of the other kids’ psyches, the line that forms outside his bathroom office stretches alllll the way down the hall. This would never happen, obviously, so don’t get mad at me when it does.
No, Bartlett accepts its influences and doesn’t purport to be realistic. It’s pop slightly-mature dramedy. There’s a little Ferris Bueller and a bit more Risky Business (am I wrong in seeing Tom Cruise in those sunglasses he wears in that first picture?). Perhaps the liberal application of tropes seen here is laziness or unoriginality, but the direction seems to elevate the story beyond this universe. The soundtrack is a smidgen further out there but serves the mood well. The only recognizable star, Robert Downey Jr., is on point as always. In fact, there are even a few times Yelchin’s features seem to evoke RDJ’s from Back to School.
Also good is Kat Dennings, best known as the daughter of Catherine Keener in The 40 Year Old Virgin. The visuals of the film aren’t necessarily captivating – there are a handful of sight gags and interesting shots but nothing remarkable – but the production design is solid. Where director Jon Poll really succeeds is with the performances and the storytelling, because the transition from smart ass high school caper to the semi-serious conclusion is handled pretty well. The story never leaves its Hollywood high school setting, but it does inject a dose of realism. The scope of the film, as a result, may be a bit too broad. And, Bartlett (as in Yelchin) is so striking that it’s a bit bizarre when his flaws become apparent. Also the riot scene wasn’t nearly riotous enough.
I’m rambling. Point is, it’s a pretty good little story and you won’t feel bad for having seen it.
Charlie Bartlett – 
Edit: This blog says the film hadn’t been recut or altered at all since it’s original intended release date. Interesting.
