Charlie St. Cloud (2010)

I really didn't expect much from this movie, it was sad, it was joyful, it was unique. I loved it, needless for long reviews, It had me feel confused, beautifully confused. The acting was cool, the plot line, well who would hate it ? I myself think it's underrated, and it is one of those movies in which Zac Efron once again proves himself as THE lead actor.7.5/10

This film had scope to be well put together and enjoyable. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Having thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful book this film was adapted from, this was an extreme disappointment. I am used to films changing the plot of an original story slightly, adding the odd dramatic scene, but this really ventured off the mark and felt rushed, badly acted and fundamentally boring. Such a shame, if this had a better selection of actors and actresses, followed the story more closely and was longer...it could have been memorable.Essentially this is eye-candy for the fans of film romance, and may tick the boxes for those who have not read the book. If you have, then you are mad if you feel anything but disappointment towards this film.3/10 for holding my attention all the way through.

I've read Ben Sherwood's book The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud a few year ago. I can honestly say that it was pretty enjoyable, due to its ability to get straight to the point in order to grasp the reader's attention and its easy-to-understand language. It's an emotionally–packed story of a great tragedy, where the main character tries to 'stay in touch' with his dead brother, and, at the same time, move on in order to develop a relationship with a newly met girl. After I have heard the news that the movie is about to come out I thought that t will be a great opportunity to test my imagination and reassure myself that the book possesses a special attitude that makes the plot very entertaining.I really thought that the choice of Zac Efron for the role of Charlie was a good one. His age, posture and physical abilities – all that seemed to be right on the spot. However, his inability to connect with the character that he was playing made his appearance particularly dull. One thing I must say for certain – this man can cry, and I mean cry like a newborn baby. Yet, his deeply unemotional and expressionless face in addition to the ever-occurring sobbing doesn't really capture the true grief behind the nature of Mr. St. Cloud. In the book he was a strong and independent man, regaining control of his own life. His depiction as a big crybaby didn't convince me. However, the picture shown on the screen can vary from the one originally written, right? This could have been the director's intention. Unfortunately, it came out all wrong. Of course, all the girls that are in love with Efron will be amazed, that is for sure. And I don't want to say that he is a bad actor, because he isn't. I just want to say that his performance here is bad. But let's just leave Zac alone and move forward. The role of Sam, the brother, is played rather well by Charlie Tahan, because he captured this character's presence correctly and honestly you can't expect more enthusiasm from a young boy, who is now a ghost still present among the living (it sounds depressing, but it was his choice to stay on Earth and always be near his big brother). Amanda Crew, playing the beautiful lady, who tries to convince Charlie that there is still more to life than mourning and that, especially right now, he should live to the fullest, is a bright star in this production. I loved her heartfelt attitude and the amount of positive balance that she brings onto the screen.However, the stagnant mood and melancholic atmosphere of the film make it a far from entertaining. On the plus side, it is supposed to be a tale about growing up and letting go, so let's just say that is a good thing in some strange sort of way.Indeed it can be said that this is a strong position in the teenage drama category. Looking from this perspective one can always find some inspiration and try to put himself in Charlie's traumatic position. Only then it carries a certain message and is slightly more appealing. That is why I wouldn't consider this movie to be a total flop, but developing my opinion from the point of reading the breathtaking book I'm not able to state that I'm satisfied with this adaptation.

This is not a great film. But, of course, most films that come out of Hollywood are not great. But this is a good film, and worth watching (depending on your tastes) I had never seen Zac Efron before, and frankly, I wasn't expecting a lot. But he very nicely here. Others must agree...he has five films coming out in 2012! He's not JUST good looking. There's some substance there, and I expect we'll see quite a bit of him over the next few years.I also was not familiar with Amanda Crew, but she was quite good as the love interest in this film. The other actors do their jobs. The script is decent, and there's more to it than a Lifetime movie (which one of our reviewers said).This film won't end up on my DVD shelf, but I'm glad I watched it. It's in that Hollywood middle ground of quality. Worth a watch.