Chaplin (1992)

In 2026, Robert Downey, Jr. is a major star. His comeback really began with Iron Man in 2008, but if you want to see what a younger version of him could do, 1992’s Chaplin would silence any of your questions. He plays the title role in the biographical movie about Charlie Chaplin. Richard Attenborough directed it, and you feel his love for Mr. Chaplin in every frame of the movie. The supporting cast is filled with major faces you will instantly recognize. The story is drawn from Mr. Chaplin’s autobiography, and be warned, while it includes some slight criticism of him, it really skirts over Mr. Chaplin’s penchant for very young girls. That’s a tidbit 2026 is not going to have an easy time dismissing. The movie was a big failure at the box office, but it got a life on home video thanks to the power of the home rental market at the time. Seeing it on a shelf might have been the first time someone even knew the movie existed, since there wasn’t any marketing campaign. The movie is not always even-handed when it comes to Mr. Chaplin’s role in the silent era. While he was one of the biggest stars on the planet, it ignores his rivals in Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd and their impact on silent comedies. But Mr. Downey is great in the title role, and it’s a shame so many of his prime years might have been lost to addiction. You really see what a star he would become. Overall, it’s a nice look at the early days of Hollywood and what it might have been like. It’s just too much of a love letter at times, and a more honest movie will include more of Mr. Chaplin’s flaws. Still, it might inspire you to look up his works, like The Gold Rush or The Kid, and you really should. Chaplin may play fast and loose with facts at times, but Mr. Downey’s star power and a great cast make everything about this movie worth it on some weekend.