CHARLIE ST. CLOUD (2010)

Charlie St. Cloud (2010)

Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy

Director: Burr Steers

Writers: Craig Pearce , Lewis Colick

Stars: Zac Efron, Kim Basinger ,Charlie Tahan

My rating 2.5/5

“ I see dead people” has become a famous line after the ‘Sixth Sense’ came on to the theater back in 1999 and oh yes it gave me the creeps the first time I saw it. ‘Charlie St. Cloud’ tries to do some what same formulae with a big LOVE in the middle but fail miserably.

 

Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron- High School Musical, Hairspray) is a talented young man who is overrun by grief after his kid brother Sam dies in a car accident. Taking the job as the caretaker of the cemetery where his brother is buried, he forget his usual life before the accident and starts to live a somewhat lonesome life. Charlie seems to be blaming himself for his brother’s death and starts to see illusions of him in his mind and speak to his brother every day. This relationship with his brother after his death change Charlie completely. And when he meets Tess (Amanda Crew-She’s the man, John Tuker must die) he have to face reality and choose his dead brother or the girl when circumstances starts to feel heavy. Amidst all this Charlie starts to feel that some of the things what happens around him are a little mysterious and they are similar to the connection with his dead brother.

I prefer the cast and the cinematography of the movie. They both are not boring or painful to look at. Especially girls would love staring at Zac Efron and might truly forget what really the movie is about.

What really bother me is the script. ‘Charlie St. Cloud’ tries hard to connect the living and the dead. Making a super natural bond is not hard but making it looks like it really matter or feel is the hard part.

Here I don’t really feel like it worked. It works somewhat ok with the brothers. But when it comes to other characters that actually don’t make much sense. With that you feel like you’re watching at some Disney movie which is not really rated for your age!

There is a load of romance in ‘Charlie St. Cloud’. The director wants us to believe that it’s a bond so strong but some things doesn’t really grip that way. Maybe there is a lack of character development in some areas and the viewer is also left out without a clear direction just like the poor Charlie himself.

Thank God I don’t see dead people and they don’t make me do things which I don’t want to do!!

 Trailer