CinePhillyist Reviews... Charlie Bartlett

Ah, the teen comedy. It's one of those genres that just won't die, and why should it? When we're younger, we get a glimpse of what might be. When we're actually teens, we're able to gaze upon an alternate reality: "Mine's not like this, but maybe someone else's is." And upon reaching adulthood, we can view the films and laugh at how unrealistic their premises are, and yet how real some of their characters seem to be. At least if it's a good teen comedy, which Charlie Bartlett is.

Now, mind you, it's not a great teen comedy. At times, it's a little too cliched, a little too predictable, a little too unrealistic. (A student lounge? At a public school? Seriously?) But the characters are ultimately people you can relate to, because although they're still fictional, they're not perfect. They're flawed and human and funny and sad, often all at the same time. The teens and adults both have to deal with real issues—for the teens, sex, popularity, and psychiatrists' desire to prescribe a medicine for everything; for the adults, spousal relations, substance abuse, and parenting—in a real way. Although you can sometimes see the next "plot" twist coming from a mile off, screenwriter Gustin Nash peppered his script with just enough clever dialogue to be memorable rather than contrived.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's got Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, Anton Yelchin, and Kat Dennings speaking his words. The four turn in impressive performances: Downey as the belabored principal, Dennings as his daughter and the paramour of the title character, Yelchin as the clever, likable Charlie, and Davis as his slightly crazy but very charming mother. Add some great supporting teenaged (or teenage-ish) cast members (including a surprising turn by CW star Tyler Hilton), and you get much better performances than you're going to get in the latest installment of the American Pie franchise or any of the other teen comedies currently in theatres or on DVD. While the film may leave a little to be desired in terms of story, it leaves nothing to be desired in execution, and it's good for a few mindless laughs that still manage to make you think.

Mostly about what the hell teenagers are doing these days.