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Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    The nature of silent comedy was to elevate its heroes into myths, but after ''Charlie'' I can't wait to see Chaplin's movies again, this time to glimpse the man on the other side of the icon.
  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: David Stratton
    90
    A throughly researched and extremely informative survey of the life and work of one of the great figures of world cinema, Richard Schickel's Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin is a must for lovers of cinema.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    88
    More than a celebration of Chaplin's art; it is a thorough examination of what made this gifted artist, the world's first true celebrity, tick.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    80
    Schickel's documentary, narrated by Sydney Pollack, breaks no new ground stylistically, but it is a well-organized, informative and inevitably entertaining portrait of the man who revolutionized screen comedy and who arguably became the first mass-market, commercialized media figure.
  5. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    80
    The hyperbole can be predictable and the clichés earnest, but by and large, Charlie is a serious, often illuminating, and unavoidably entertaining account of the creature Downey calls "the most endearing superhero you might ever want to watch."
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    80
    Very much a writer's film: Mr. Schickel's elegant, occasionally knotty prose, read by Sidney Pollack, offers a clear, nuanced interpretation of the artist's work in relation to his life.
  7. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jami Bernard
    75
    Presents a refreshing appreciation of Chaplin's work in the context of comedy, political and social satire, and history itself.
  8. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    60
    Comprehensive and reverential.
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