Charlie St. Cloud

Last night my friend and I went to see the new Zac Efron drama, Charlie St. Cloud based on the novel, The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud. I'll admit my reasons for wanting to see the film had less to do with the basic premise: a boy who plays baseball every night in the woods with his dead younger brother, and more about the teenage girl in me who enjoys Zac Efron. I'm ok admitting that.

I didn't quite know what to expect with this film. I hoped it wouldn't be terrible. I hoped Efron would be able to hold his own in a film that didn't feature dancing and cheesy musical numbers. I hoped the film would be entertaining and perhaps even heartwarming.

So how did it pan out? I enjoyed the film though I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a film worth seeing in theatres. Probably a Netflix level film. I am happy to report that the previews do not give away the entire film and I was caught off guard and surprised by several elements in the film. While Efron was nice to look at, I also think he held his own as an actor in the film. The entire cast, aside from him and a brief appearance by Kim Basinger as Charlie's overworked mother struggling to provide for her children, is made up of B, C, and perhaps D actors. I've never seen any of them before and don't know if I'll be seeing them again. So in a way, I think it's a lot of pressure to expect Efron to singlehandedly carry this film. I'm not sure he does it. I don't think the story line sets him up to carry the film alone and I don't think the supporting cast is strong enough for him to do so either.

All that being said, the film is emotionally touching, especially in the scenes between Charlie and his younger brother. It portrays the depth of brotherly love and the bonds that bind two brothers together. I think this film was definitely a step in the right direction for Efron. It shows that not only can he break out of the high school musical/hairspray mold, but he did and has the ability to be in future dramatic roles. So should you see the film? Why not. But should you expect great things from it? It's no Inception.

Cheers.