This is the ?authorised? version of the life and times of Charlie Chaplin, based on Chaplin?s autobiography written in 1970. The story is a series of cleverly done flashbacks to Charlie as a small child right up Charles as the man he had become when writing his autobiography.

Charlie Chaplin in many ways led a charmed life but this story tells of the struggles and set backs he also had to cope with. Charlie Chaplin spent a year in the poor house when he was a very young child; his mother suffered from mental illness and was often unable to feed her two sons. Charlie was 15 his mother is institutionalised, she had become unable to function in the real world. The movie then traces Charlie?s life to the theatre and then the USA and the world of silent movies. Charlie was fascinated by film and when an invitation arrived for him to join the moviemakers in California he jumped at the chance. The story continues and viewers are offered snippets of Charlie?s life as he retells of his three marriages; his 10 children, his many friends and enemies, and most importantly, the making of his 81 films.

The story finishes with the now famous moment in 1972 when Charlie was recognised for his work in Hollywood at the Academy Awards. Chaplin packed a lot into his life and whilst this is just a normal length movie, the story of the man behind Charlie Chaplin is fully covered.

I was fascinated watching this film; having seen many of the famous Chaplin films, it was great to get a feel for the man behind the scenes. There were many things that I didn?t know about his life and I found it interesting to watch the story so faithfully retold. The end of the film shows the main characters in the story and each had a 1 page print, ?what happened next? in their particular life. This feature was fabulous - and left all the loose ends tied up beautifully. The filmmakers acknowledge the help of Chaplin?s family and friends and take credit for being historically correct.

This is a great movie I really enjoyed the Charlie Chaplin story - Robert Downey Jnr?s portrayal of Chaplin was phenomenal the costumes and set were so real it was like being there and the sound and picture quality were excellent. Even if you are not a fan of Charlie Chaplin, this is a great movie to watch and who knows you might even learn something as a bonus! Perfect for a lazy afternoon and definitely one to add to the home collection Chaplin is not only a great story but also an extremely entertaining movie.

THE EXTRAS

No bonus features just the movie

CONCLUSION

This is the ?authorised? version of the life and times of Charlie Chaplin, based on Chaplin?s autobiography written in 1970. The story is a series of cleverly done flashbacks to Charlie as a small child right up Charles as the man he had become when writing his autobiography.