After being thrown out of yet another private school for his blossoming, though illegal, entrepreneurial activities, wealthy teenager Charlie Bartlett is forced to attend a regular high school. His smart, geeky appearance gets him a first day beating from the school bully so his overly medicated mother calls in the family psychiatrist to help him out. Charlie sets himself up as the school agony aunt, dishing out advice and prescription drugs, courtesy of the family shrink, from the school rest rooms. His charm, charisma and access to medication soon starts to win him new friends and the popularity he has always dreamed of...

Charlie Bartlett is a high school movie, refreshingly different to others I’ve seen before.

Rather than ‘bigging’ it up in the usual Hollywood style of glamour, gloss and beauty, this movie shows real people with real issues. It touches on single parenting, alcoholism, drug taking and suicide, all with a touch of realism that Hollywood usually shies away from.

Robert Downey Jr. gives a good performance as a principal who has no control over his students and hates his life. He seems to have mastered the art of playing a believable drunk - although there is one scene, where he is shooting a gun and going a little crazy, which sees him sober up in a blink of an eye - which kind of ruined the moment for me.

While none of the acting could be faulted, what really stood out for me was Kat Denning’s character, Susan Gardner the principal’s daughter. She is smart, strong minded and actually has an opinion. It’s good to see a leading female role being played by a ‘real’ girl rather than that of the stereotypical beautiful girl, whose job it is to sit around looking pretty.

There were a few pretty awful cringe-making moments too, including the school bully seeing the error of his ways and turning good, and the cheesy scene which sees Charlie and the school idiot becoming firm friends. There's also a pretty dire duet between Charlie and Susan which is saved, just in time, by Charlie’s Mum (Hope Davis) as she takes over the song in true comedy style.

Charlie Bartlett is going to appeal mostly to today’s teenage audience whose angst and woes are upon them. I'm sure that many will be able to empathize with the different characters and finally feel that they aren’t alone in this world.

Surprisingly I enjoyed this movie, maybe a little more than I should have, and at times laughed out loud. It's funny, moving but above all it's entertaining.

8

Helena Rea

Watch the trailer: Quicktime / Realplayer / Windows Media Player