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Capone has a few brief words to say about Zac Efron in CHARLIE ST. CLOUD!!!
Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
In a rare moment (mark your calendars), I'm at a loss for what to say about this movie. But here's my valiant attempt to walk you through my thoughts. There's nothing inherently evil or bad about CHARLIE ST. CLOUD, a film that really would like you to believe it's about grieving, loss, and moving on. When sailing enthusiast Charlie (Zac Efron) loses his little brother Sam (Charlie Tahan) to a drunk driver in a car accident, he goes into a deep depression and perhaps even a slightly delusional state for several years. Just before Sam's death, the brothers made a pact to meet every night at sundown to practice baseball. And even after the crash, Charlie goes to their designated spot religiously and works on pitching with a vision of Sam that can apparently throw the ball back. They talk, argue, go over the day's events, and the "relationship" keeps Charlie from going to college, getting involved with women, or moving on with his life in any way. It's always just a little bit sadder when bad things happen to cute people.
When Tess (Amanda Crew), a high school classmate of Charlie's, returns to their Pacific Northwest home as a world-class sailor preparing to go solo around the world, she's surprised to find Charlie still around and still adorable. He barely remembers her, but the two strike up a friendship on the eve of her journey. During one particularly nasty storm in the area, Tess takes her boat out to test how it holds up in bad weather. Several hours later, she lands up at Charlie's doorstep, bleeding from the head and a fuzzy memory of what happened. And this is where the movie starts to get a little ridiculous. I'm not going to spoil any surprises here, but CHARLIE ST. CLOUD goes from sweet, sentimental story of a young man grieving for his lost sibling to something that I'm not even sure makes sense. Every turn this movie gives us is telegraphed by supporting players like Kim Basinger as Charlie's mom, Ray Liotta as the ambulance technician who saved Charlie's life after the car crash, and Donal Logue as Tess' trainer.
Director Burr Steers worked with Efron in last year's 17 AGAIN, and he also did the vastly superior IGBY GOES DOWN, and this one feels like further evidence that the guy is slipping further down the cotton candy trail to Sticky Sweet Land. Although this movie does include a love scene (sort of) and a few bad words, CHARLIE ST. CLOUD couldn't be more sanitized and predictable. Despite the slightly unconventional nature of the third act, the film still manages to wrap things up exactly how you'd expect.
I'll admit, I've always seen potential in Efron as an actor, especially after seeing ME AND ORSON WELLES last year. But he's got to stop playing it safe if he wants to excel as an actor. It's that simple. I get that breaking free of the Disney Channel mold is tough, but at some point Efron will have to decide whether he more intent on holding onto his younger fans or making new ones who appreciate stronger acting roles down the road. My guess is that the guy can probably keep both, and still make decent movie. But CHARLIE ST. CLOUD is largely disposable, forgettable drivel.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcool.com
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Is our generation's Scott Baio.
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And the quicker you and other reviewers figure that out and stop buying into the cynical bullshit machine that manufactures shitty young actors while ignoring good ones and sets standards so low that they cant possibly lose, then you will no longer be a part of the system that's robbing us of an entire generation of good actors. When the really great watchable young actors of a generation literally comes down to three reliable names (Ryan Gosling, Chris Pine, Joseph Gordon Levitt) you know you have a serious fucking problem on your hands. Efron is not a good actor, never will be.
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It's Efron.
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You're so right it hurts.
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is more talented than Shia Lefluff. Not saying much, but it's true.
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I guess I should write SPOILERS, but I haven't seen the film, so I doubt I can spoil it, but anyway here are my guesses.
option a) after the accident, Zac has some day job where he barely interacts with anyone, and so it turns out he died in the crash with his brother and they're both dead. and then when the girl crashes, she's dead too, and they have ghost sex?option b) the baseball and life after the accident is all part of a dream Zac is having while unconscious somewhere after the accident, and he wakes up and the girl hasn't left (in real life) to go out on the ocean, but he knows from his flash forward dreams that she's gonna die, so he goes out on the water to save her.I think b is more likely. how about it Capone?
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Jul 30, 2010 3:02:21 AM CDT
Efron's got potential - it's the projects he chooses that suck
by shiftyeyeddog2
I seriously think given a good flick, he could turn out to be a real talent. Sure, it's hip for fanboys to rip on him and his Disney/HSM roots, but despite any history, the kid's got potential.
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I'm pretty none of us expected to this movie grace this web site.
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I agree whole-heartedly with IndustryKiller. True talent is overlooked in lieu of prepackaged imagewhores like Efron and the cursed like.
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You're only saying that because you've been trained to think that anyone who is forced upon you as someone with "star power" must have SOMETHING redeemable about them simply because they can speak English without pissing their pants and passing out. Bullshit. Efron doesn't have star power and he doesn't have an "It" factor. You know when watching Chris Pine in Star Trek, even if you didnt like the film, how fucking effortlessly charismatic he was? How he seemed both cool and confident and relateably vulnerable at the same time? THATS star power. Efron has never even come within the dimension of displaying that. Not even close. Also he has zero gravitas. He comes off as someone who has never experienced a single real fucking thing in his lie. i dont say that because I think he's a child star from the disney factory, I really really dont, I could care less about his history, Ryan Gosling was in The Mickey Mouse Club and I think he's fantastic after all, I say that because on screen he's wood. He also doesnt have the least bit of edge or cool to him. Unless he's playing a totally unironic Mormon who is completely comfortable with being a goody two shoes Mormon, Efron will absolutely fail to be believable in the role. He cant play anyone who has to intimidate anyone ever. He also doesnt have an ounce of artistic creativity. There is nothing behind the basic mechanics of "im speaking my lines in the most competent manner I can speak my lines" to anything he plays. He is utterly perfunctory and predictable, without fail. Stop drinking the kool aid.
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No one wants to see this. Zafron is not cool news. Yeah I shortened his name. Use it, go ahead. Tell your friends it was your idea.
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zak effron is what joseph gorden levitt WANTS to be. joseph is a slightly more talented dramatic actor but after that zack is better at singing and dancing and dancing and all the goofy shit joseph really loves. people who think joseph is some kind of great actor are smoking something. he's rigid. which is fine when he's playing rigid. otherwise he's nothing special. and i say this as someone who really likes him. but when i hear someone say he stole the show in Inception or that he could be the next villain to follow heath ledger i just have to shake my head in disbelief. he isn't even close to heath in talent.
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i might be willing to become addicted to crack and lose everything in my life if that were my only choice besides seeing this charlie st cloud movie. just the title makes me vomit in my mouth.
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She managed to break free of the Disney Channel mold pretty thoroughly. Maybe she could share some career tips.
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My problem with movies like this is that it is a pointless money scam. No talented filmmaker is going to look at the pool of talent and stop on Efron and say "that boy has the most range, the best ability to convey the emotions i need to make this script come alive!". It's just not going to happen... whereas plenty of filmmakers who just want to get paid will look into the pool of talent and say "Zac Efron has the most fangirls who are willing to go see anything! Let's cast him!" Most movies are just about money... screw the acting and story telling... "lets think of the best way to get people into the cinema! I guess I see the point... gotta eat! but my problem is that these untalented people are being paid megabucks to "act" while so many actors who actually have natural talent are being passed over to get to whoever is on the cover of the teenybopper mags this month. If you are a producer on a movie with a great script, and you want to get a lot of money out of this film... you dont cast the talented Emile Hirsch because he wont bring in the mass fangirls, you cast the untalented Zac Efron because he will bring in those fangirls. There is just something very sad about that.
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you have now, in one evening, asserted that Zach Galifiankis isn't very funny and has a career that about to tank, and Zac Efron has great potential as a serious actor.
I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul. -
...Charlie goes to save the chick but they both run into some kind of life-threatening nautical shit. The ghost kid shows up and somehow saves them, then has a talk with Charlie that he "has to move on" and Charlie, likewise has to "move on" with his pathetic life. How many fuckin' times has Hollywood foisted THAT schmaltz on us? Fail.
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Then the plot twist is something we have seen before in several movies, and the ending is just a shitty way to end a book. I wonder if its the same.
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As vagina-wetting female heartthrobs, but they had to do some shit to break away from it. Johnny Depp, for one...who is, technically still a hearttthrob I guess, but now the dudes are in love with him too.
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That is all.
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Jul 30, 2010 7:51:06 AM CDT
What's the plot twist? I'm not going to actually see this crap.
by wickedjester
Unless it results in me getting laid. Even then I'm downloading it.
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They're either all dead or the girl is and Efron can 'see dead people.'If I'm right, spoiler alert.
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Shame.
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Let me guess, Charlies dead? That's why he can't leave, right?RIGHT?? SHOCKING!!! I have farted out better stories than this shit.
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Efron signed to play the main role in
the next Nicholas Sparks adaptation
"The Lucky One".....a battle hardened soldier who's managed to
survive three tours in Iraq. WTF to
infinity and beyond....Efron looks like he has survived a few tours in Malibu...they'll have to send him to Dale Dye's boot camp for at least a year..... -
You sure?
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such a waste of film.
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I haven't read jack shit about the 2010 SDCC Tron Legacy panel and new trailer on here. Did I miss it or did AICN drop the ball? In fact I've had to check out other sites to read about comicon this year. Coverage on here this year is shit. But a movie no one on here will see gets 2 reviews (3 more to follow I'm guessing).
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every time I've seen it in a theater lately. But no way I could sit through this whole movie.
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The only way Zac Efron will break his squeeky clean image is to play a homosexual or gay for pay in a movie. River Phoenix and Keanue Reeves did it in My Own Private Idaho. Leonardo did in The Basketball Diaries.
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Sam and Tess are dead, and only Charlie can see them. He interacts with them, and folks think he's gone looney. Fair enough. If they come back as ZOMBIES, then we're talking a whole nuther kettle of fish! THAT would be a twist no one is expecting.
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Does a movie have to be full of vulgarity and sex to be of any quality or merit? If so, why? You guys do realize that not everyone swears every other word or jumps anything on two legs... Right?
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Jul 30, 2010 1:53:22 PM CDT
Massawyrm actually wrote a REVIW of this movie you lazy cunt
by manifestchaos
Capone is the worst contributor on this site by miles, just get rid of him already.
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You have to see this summer blockbuster as soon as possible! It will change the way you see movies from now on! Mark you calenders, cinema will never be the same after the release of Charlie St Cloud! This is beyond Avatar! I saw it on an Imax screen in digital 3-D and it truly fucked my eyeballs! Where did you hide my meds?!!!!!!
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I wasn't trying to say there was a difference between homosexual and gay. I was trying to say Zac either needs to play a gay character or a character that does gay for pay.
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I don't really wanna see this movie. However, I definitely wanna fuck Efron.
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is that other real actors allready have the choice roles on lockdown. He's gonna need to convince somebody to take a chance using him in something that goes completely against type and fanbase. A rapist for instance. A Serial Killer. Heck, he'd probably make an awesome Ted Bundy if anybody ever decided to do a film version of that. But when you can't even say the name of the film without groaning, when every scene is just him looking pretty for the fans, when the core scenes is him tossing SOFTBALLS(an apt analogy for his career if there ever was one).. you know he aint trying for high art and as long as he's willing.. productions will gladly typecast his ass into the ground.
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Isn't it weird that AICN would run two posts about Charlie St. Cloud; a movie that pretty much no one reading this site would care about? And isn't it even weirder that while both these posts acknowledge that the movie isn't great the authors hammer home the point that Zac Efron sure has the potential to be a big name actor someday! What's more likely; that two AICN contributors were so inspired by Efron in Charlie St. Cloud that they felt the need to extol his wonderfulness or that someone paid to get these pro-Zac Efrom posts written in the hopes that maybe we movie geek-types will think of Efron as less of an annoying pretty boy and more as the next Johnny Depp?
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Isn't it entirely possible that reviewers here are being OBJECTIVE (the one thing you want in ANY review) in saying that Efron is an untapped talent? The news here ISN'T that CHARLIE is a weird mess of a movie (which both reviews DO acknowledge). It's about the lead actor, who may or may not have the potential to better himself by choosing better roles later on.It's true that no one here cares about seeing this movie, but it is interesting that both reviews are objective enough to say Efron has potential.It's funny how people attack anything that disrupts their predictions for a movie. If your opinion runs contrary to people's expectations WATCH OUT! You MUST have been paid!
-- Zac Efron's publicist. -
Gotcha, read it wrong.
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Well, there's the kid. Ha, I kill me.
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...and he actually is as vapidly safe and dry as he seems. Every sentence he emitted just sort of trailed off into non-thought. He's as smooth, unthreatening and empty as the barrel of a plastic gun.
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Aug 01, 2010 2:56:29 PM CDT
And WHY would you watch Efron when you could watch Emile Hirsch
by sepulchrave
Now, there's a cute young guy with talent and technique and charisma in spades.
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