Charlie Bartlett – Sunday 23rd March 2025

Another film I’d never heard of until I saw it on IMDB. It had decent reviews, and starred RDJ, so I decided to watch it.

It was alright. Kind of ‘Ferris Bueller’ vibes, with the popular kid that everyone loves, and the antagonistic relationship with the school’s headmaster, but nowhere nearly as iconic, and a bit more of a serious tone.

What made the film enjoyable was the likeability of the protagonist. The late Anton Yelchin does an amazing job in the title role, and makes what could be a ‘spoiled brat’ into someone that the audience is rooting for. In fact, the whole film is a great showcase for Yelchin, which makes his untimely death all the more tragic, as he clearly had a lot to offer.
RDJ is great, as ever, playing a more mature role than we’re probably used to.

I don’t think the film reaches the heights of the teen fiilms of the 90s, but it’s definitely worth watching, especially if you crave something ‘new’ in the genre (this film came out in 2007!), as they don’t make these types of movies anymore!