I want to just spoil the movie so that you won’t watch it. I’m surprised I sat through the whole thing and didn’t get up to leave…it was so boring. This is the one few times where I think reading the book would’ve been more entertaining than watching the movie…and I hate reading books. Actually, I think watching somebody read the book would be more entertainment than watching the movie. Charlie St. Cloud shouldn’t be seen in theaters, bought or rented on DVD, or even watched on tv. I think Zac Efron fans will even have a hard time liking this one.
Charlie St. Cloud is fundamentally about the strong relationship between two brothers. One night, Charlie St. Cloud and Sam, his younger brother, get in a car accident. They both die but Charlie is brought back to life. At first, I thought it was the unconditional love and connection that Charlie and his brother shared which allowed them to communicate while Sam was between life and death but apparently being dead and then being brought back to life gave Charlie the power to talk to dead people. After the accident he gave up his scholarship to Stanford and sailing, the thing he loved to do most, to play catch with his dead brother every sunset. He pretty much stopped living and became the grounds-keeper of the graveyard where his brother and friends were buried. For five years, he kept his promise to his brother.
Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron) and Sam St. Cloud (Charlie Tahan)
I feel bad criticizing a young actor but Charlie Tahan was terrible. He’s so emotionless it’s as if he was dead throughout the whole movie. Oh wait…he pretty much was. I didn’t like any scene that he was in and didn’t feel any chemistry between him and his brother. The chemistry between Zac and Amanda Crew on the other hand was pretty good except for the awkward romantic hide and seek in the cemetery. I hope Donal Logue, Kim Basinger, and Ray Liotta got paid a lot of money because their talents were wasted on this movie. Half of the movie is Zac Efron talking to himself in one way or another (talking to his dead brother, dead friends, or literally talking to himself).
Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron) and Tess Carroll (Amanda Crew)
There really isn’t much to say about this movie. Almost every aspect of it was boring to me. From the characters to the script, music, and scene transitions…it was just plain and flat. The story was so straightforward and predictable that it was a pain to watch. At no point in the movie was I engaged in the story or cared about anything that was happening on screen. Honestly, I just wanted it to be over. You knew what was going to happen and I just wanted it to happen already so I could get home. As I said before, I think even Zac Efron fanatics will have a problem enjoying this movie unless they’re mesmerized by Zac Efron’s dreamy eyes and their heads are in the clouds. In the movie, they put a pretty big emphasis on Saint Jude who is the saint of lost causes. They say, “there is no such thing as a lost cause.” They obviously didn’t watch the movie yet.
Tags: Amanda Crew, Charlie St. Cloud, Charlie Tahan, Donal Logue, Kim Basinger, Ray Liotta, Zac Efron
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
