The movie is a re-creation of the troubled and controversial life of the master comedy filmmaker Charles Chaplin, from his humble beginnings in south London through his early days in British vaudeville, his silent movie career in America and his late masterpieces.
A lot of loving care (but not much thought) went into this white elephant, and considering how fascinating a figure Chaplin is it's never exactly boring, but your time would be much better spent looking at any of Chaplin's pictures.
Robert Downey Jr. gives a strong, Oscar-nominated performance, but Attenborough's disappointingly formulaic biopic doesn't capture Chaplin's genius as artist or his complex life
