sammie-hartman

(2012-04-29 05:30:17)

If I could rate it higher I would...

As I watched this movie I felt like I was viewing my own life story...In 1991 I lost my little brother to a tragic accident as well. Theemotions and inability to continue "living" life felt by Charlie arethe same I had struggled with for many years. I found this movie to beextremely emotional, heart felt and true to the subject at hand. Theacting of ALL the actors was outstanding, as well as the camera work,editing, directing, and most of all the writing.If you like movies with true heart and emotion I highly recommend thismovie as you can tell by my rating of 10. Honestly, I would rate iteven higher than that if I could.Although my love of this movie is very much inspired by my personalattachment to the subject, I think anyone would find this movie to bevery touching...

tuxedopenguin

(2012-04-28 14:47:55)

Charlie St. Cloud: An Interesting Experience

I happened to watch the movie Charlie St. Cloud after my mom, who can'twrap her mind around watching movies without a TV screen and a remotein hand, picked it up in the New Releases section of Blockbuster. Ihappened to walk by as she was watching, and I was hooked. What drew mein was the immediate visual appeal of the film. Camera position. Colorsaturation. Woodsy and beachy scenery. Zac Efron. Did I say Zac Efron?That's what Charlie St. Cloud is: visually appealing. The direction ofphotography is great. There are some shots that, frozen, are pure art.The scene with Efron looking out at the ocean horizon on a boat atsunset resembles a Cartier ad. The blue-dyed scene where Efron emergesfrom the pond, cold and depressed from the loss of his younger brother,screams art indie. The shot where a sun-kissed Efron and beach-hairedAmanda Wells smooch atop a white yacht could come straight out of theglossy pages of a Nautica spread. If you want to experience visualbeauty, your eyes will find and feast the full spectrum in Charlie St.Cloud.Visual appeal aside, Charlie St. Cloud has not much to offer. Thebeginning of the film and the intriguing title bespoke promise that therest of the film did not live up to. Granted, it has all the rightelements. Hot male lead? Check. Hot female lead? Check.Under-appreciated protagonist who is in fact loyal, lovable, andincredibly intelligent; loss of a loved one; swelling violinsoundtrack; mysterious man who predicts protagonist's future and leaves(hint hint) a token with a hidden meaning; romance that setsprotagonist miraculously in perspective under plenty of sunsets? Check,check, check, check, check, and check. Oh, don't forget the midnightlove scene – but in a graveyard? Eccentric graveyard tryst aside,Charlie St. Cloud is wholly unoriginal. In a half-hearted attempt,Charlie St. Cloud mashes the all- too-familiar elements of your typicalHollywood blockbuster in a melodramatic and disjointed two hours ofscreen time.There were moments where I sympathized with Efron's character, where Icheered for him, where I waited with bated breath. Efron took a step inhis growth as an actor with Charlie St. Cloud, and I applaud hiseffort. However, Efron's acting skills remain to be honed in, and hewill need to make a serious performance in order to completely drop hisimage as the (very) handsome lead of teen flicks. Amanda Wells wascharming and convincing as her character. Zac's friend was genuinelyadorable. The gruff was extremely likable as a cynical but loyalmentor. Sadly, the times the actors were engaging on screen and thevisual appeal of the film were overshadowed by the tired recognition ofclichés hashed one too many times.

Riva Stewart

(2012-04-27 17:00:30)

Pleasantly surprised

Zac Efron stars in the touching tale of a young man who must deal withthe untimely death of his little brother. It is the last few weeks ofhis senior year in high school and Charlie (Efron) has a bright futureahead of him. From a single parent, working class family Charlie is atalented sailor that has a scholarship to an Ivey league university.The night of Charlie's graduation, with the responsibility of watchinghis brother Sam, he attempts to sneak out to attend a friend's farewellparty who will be leaving to join the military. But as he quietly turnson his car there's Sam right in front of the car. After a littleteasing Charlie agrees to drop his brother at a friend's house. As theyare driving tragedy strikes, they are in a car accident that kills hislittle brother. Unable to release the pain and guilt of his brother'sdeath Charlie doesn't accept the scholarship. Years go by and Charlieis stuck. Stuck in the same town in grew up in and stuck in a routineto keep his brother's memory alive.A young woman Tess, a sailor, enters Charlie's life. While sailingduring a storm Tess doesn't return. Charlie has a decision to make doeshe stay for Sam or go save Tess.In his first adult role Zac Efron was believable as the pain strickenbrother. I was interested to see how he would fare in this dramaticrole. I was impressed. One scene that stands out in my mind is when hewas asked to come to the local bar after work. The emotion that heexhibited without words was clear as he attempted to fit in to thehappy crowd around him. Zac's got some acting chops. He carried thismovie well and made it enjoyable.We know Zac is a cutie that can sing and dance. Now we see he can holdhis own in a drama. All we need now is to see if he can be a tough guy;execute some martial arts and handle a weapon then ladies and gentlemanwe may have our next superstar.www.rivareviews.com

earleywinejamie

(2012-04-27 08:14:12)

I kiiiinda liked it.......

I went to this movie with my girlfriend, not JUSTTTT because she wantedto, but because I was also interested in seeing this sad tale. Thepreviews looked good and I'm not a guy who's afraid to watch some"sappy" love/drama film. I give props to Zac Efron because that dudecan really act (and cry). He has the ability to make the audience feelthe pain and hardships he is going through in his own life and he isvery good at toning down some of the cheesy screenplay with his ownexperience as a well-achieved and believable actor. The kid who playedhis brother Sam was also GREAT for being cast at such a young age. Theyhad a realistic bond and it perfectly personified the true relationshipof any brotherly comradeship. Girls, if your looking for a sad/happyending, zac efrons shirtless body, and a movie that will make your eyestear up then this is the movie for you.

(2012-04-19 23:42:19)

Charlie Not On Cloud 9

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD was a bit of a head-scratcher, but that's just me. The incredibly beautiful Zac Efron in the title role is most sweet, enjoyable and he has a stillness that is fitting. Very dignified, a quiet charm that I think might take him a long way in film.Charlie has lost his 'baby' brother Sam in an accident, the results of which leave Charlie able to see certain deceased people. The film, while it keeps the ghost of young Sam ghostly enough, does not seem able to find its right niche. After all, is this a ghost here, a ghost there, or is Charlie really just left wacko from his injuries?The sad predictability of something I expected to really pop - crazy boy-sees-ghosts-finds-girl, she brings him back to a normal life - YAWN! There was a powerful potential in the relationship, but the makers missed that beat also. This film attracted me for many reasons and I waited a long time to view it. Aside from the inducement of the stunning Zac, I found myself turning away in boredom more than once.It seems a relatively safe family film, it's a deep enough story to satisfy the average viewer. If you can stomach the canned cream corn of the storyline, it is even passable as a romance. Just as a selfish little wish, I hope Zac Efron, who is strongly rumored to be gay, will try a "bromance" comedy next time around - I haven't seen him star in anything since this film.That's it, I won't warn you away from this so-so film, I've seen a lot worse. At the same time, I won't praise it to the skies, but I will repeat that Zac Efron is a major acting talent, and if he ever learns to broaden his range he'll have a life comparable to that of Cary Grant.

mistressselene

(2012-04-19 15:33:46)

Pleasantly surprised...

I honestly wasn't expecting much except for a fluff, but was pleasantlysurprised by this heart-warming tear-jerker. I don't know much of themain actor Zac Efron other than what is mentioned in his "known for"Bio on IMDb; as such I wasn't expecting a grand performance as such. Asmuch as the movie surprised me itself, as did the actor. Being that majority of the movie center's on Zac Efron's performance itwas a very pleasant surprise to see a young actor around my age holdhis own and move past his Disney starting career, where so many elsehave failed miserably, and try for an actual acting career. I won't go off the deep end and say this film deserves of an award ofsome kind but I found it to be pleasant with some tears (as I am femaleand tend tear up at the "tear-jerker" parts) and an over all satisfiedfeeling at the end. The movie was a bit corny in some parts maybe a bittoo much fluff towards the ends, but I was expecting that. I wouldconsider this a nice movie to watch with your girlfriends/gayguy-friends (if I was back in my home town I would have watched it withmy best friend and his lover) or at home on a weekend night. I would however recommend that you not watch it with your boyfriend(unless he's the rare and lovable oddball that likes chick-flicks), asit is definitely a chick-flick. Also, take into consideration that asZac Efron is on the screen for most of the movie and most guys do notlike watching *just* a dude for almost two hours, with a minor mix oflittle brother and possible love interest mixed in. That being said youshould be able to judge how your boyfriends would react to this movie;at least I hope you would for their sakes. ^_~;;On another note despite not being a raving fan girl of Zac Efron I canadmit that he is eye candy, particularly his chartreuse/blue eyes, somost women (and men that are so inclined) will not only get prettydecent solo acting and a heart-warming tale, but a nice face to look atin the process. =) That said I enjoyed the movie and am curious as towhat else this young actor might produce in the future.

(2012-04-08 21:36:13)

Efron is pretty, the story is not

The flaws in this script are too numerous to bother mentioning, but Zach Efron is hott. That might be enough for this movie's target audience.

wizardofroz13

(2012-04-08 07:23:51)

Quite the disappointment...

Like most Americans, I have found myself bewitched by Zac Efron; hisstunningly blue eyes, his sullen good looks and his perfectly tousledhair make him a great leading man. But alas, not even his good lookscould save this film.The premise is interesting enough, a senior in high school who has theworld on a string suddenly finds himself plunging down a path of apathyand regret after the death of his 12 year old brother. This is quitehard to believe, however, due to the poor relationship Charlie (Efron)has with his little brother. In the scenes before young Sam dies, thetwo don't seem to share any fraternal bond. So, when we find out that 5years after Sam's death Charlie is grounds keeper at the cemetery andplays catch with his dead brother every night, I thought it ridiculous.Efron plays Charlie the same way both before and after Sam dies:completely apathetic and nearly removed from the screen. There is atwist towards the end of the film that makes the plot even moredifficult to grasp. It is very difficult to empathize with Charlie atthis point. Ray Liotta has a tiny, tiny part which should have been developed muchmore fully. Kim Basinger is totally forgettable. Efron's love interest,Amanda Crew, is very hard to like. The film hardly explores hercharacter and I found myself responding to her supposedly dramaticscenes very negatively. The young actor who plays Sam does an okay job.He tries to be the awe-struck younger brother but Efron doesn't givehim enough to work with. Overall, I feel as though this movie was mishandled. In the hands ofeither a more sensitive director and/or cast, this could have been verytouching coming of age film. Sadly, it's far from it.One redeeming quality is that the scenery is beautiful. The lush forestand ocean water surrounding the cemetery and town are magnificent. If you really want to see this movie, I'd say wait. Wait to rent or seeit at the dollar theater or until you just totally forget about it.

nm07

(2012-04-01 03:02:25)

It was Great!

I don't know why it appears people are indifferent to Charlie St.Cloud; saw it today and it was great! Zac Efron should do drama all thetime. It was the right amount of sensitivity mixed with humor. I lovedall the ocean scenes. The characters were great and I think Charlie'sco-worker was Australian, though they never clarified.Efron should always be in dramatic roles. After "17 Again" thought hemay never work in movies again. However, this totally redeems him as anactor. Leaving the big question of why he is still trying to go intocomedy. The relationship between Charlie and Sam Cloud was heartfelt.~shrug~I would see it again and looking forward to when it is on the HallmarkChannel. :p

Wes Lambert

(2012-03-31 10:32:45)

How not to make a "I see dead people", drama, teen drama, semi-comedy movie

"Charlie St. Cloud" starring Zac Efron is the story of the titlecharacter and how he deals with the loss of his younger brother, Sam,(Charlie Tahan) in a car accident made even worse by the fact thatCharlie is driving. Seemingly from beyond the grave or only inCharlie's mind, Sam shows up every day for a promised baseball lesson.We flash forward five years and Charlie has given up on college, hislove of sailing and become the town recluse all to make his dailyappointment with Sam. From my title of my post you may have picked up on the fact that Ithink "Charlie St. Cloud" is a awkward mismatch of ideas that don'tnecessarily fare well in the same movie. Self-editing is a valuableskill that would serve the creative forces behind this movie very well.There are three, possibly four distinct story lines going hereincluding a missed opportunity at a supernatural drama. I don't thinkany of them succeed because it doesn't appear this movie knows what itwants to be.As far as acting, Efron has a charming face and disposition that lendswell to the humor but not so much the drama. You can practically seehim straining in the first part of the movie to keep up with themovie's over the top dramatics. It's further proof to me that Hollywoodfinds us a bit dense and believes we need a trail of bread crumbsleading to the obvious. In this case the obvious is that the suddenloss of a young family member is tragic. Of course you cannot have ZacEfron as your lead without some romance. Charlie attracts the interestof Tess (Amanda Crew), a young woman training for a round the globesailing trip. I hate to be harsh but my biggest criticism is for AmandaCrew. She has a delivery so flat as to suck any spark or chemistry outof the scenes between Charlie and Tess. Since I'm really trashing thismovie, I will give some props to Charlie Tahan who plays Sam. He isgenuinely funny and at times conveys the sadness embodied by hischaracter. Have I made this sound so terrible? There is an audience forthis movie but I don't think that includes people like me who take acynical view about the state of creativity in film.

(2012-03-27 09:40:56)

The eternal life of Charlie St. Cloud!!

This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud (DVD) Underated movie about a man and his sunken dreams when his younger brother dies in a car crash. Nuanced understated performance from the usually happy go lucky lead supported with a tight script and cast. Zac Efron is a real revelation as a serious and considered actor, and Augustus Prew is perfectly cast as a "kinda" alter ego to Charlie. Subtle moments of direction and photography from Burr Steers. Cool songs throughout underscore feeling in the viewer from the likes of Electric Owls, Ramones, Andrew Bird and Pink Mountaintops supported by a superb melodic score from Rolfe Kent. A magical, MAGICAL, allegory comparing the sailing setting against Charlie's home setting as a metaphor for life, dreams and the choices we must ultimately make. Bought the US release of the DVD weeks ago - gets even better with more viewings and Bluray on order for its imminent release in the UK next week - my best of 2010! Seriously...buy it!!!

sabotschool-837-324259

(2012-03-27 03:16:28)

Ethereal Movie for Enlightened Old Souls

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, the book's title and movie'soriginal title that should have remained, is suitable for viewing withyour PG-13 aged family and a dinner discussion afterward.What was taken away from the book: love prevails and permeates body andsoul in life and in death.What was taken away from the movie: no one is a lost cause and somesouls for some reason are given a second chance at life. Death, loss and loneliness from grief are topics many souls here in thenew world push away. The movie will fair better in Europe and beyond asthere are many more old souls in old world societies. Miracles happen every day but are not grand or loud. Miracles are tiny,quick, and quiet. Many of the small happenings in the book and moviehave happened to myself and my Sister as I am a Hospice volunteer andmy Sister, a Hospice RN. For example, when we dream of the deceased, yes, we are dreaming ofthem but they too are visiting us in our dreams. A different, open wayof looking at dreams and another world beyond our physical reach andfull comprehension. Dante speaks of a world in between life and death, called 'Chaos.' Manytimes our body and soul do not leave this earth together. Either maylag behind for a mere moment, many minutes or a few days. In Hospicework, one may objectively measure the death of the body but none of uscan fully measure the subjective passing of the soul. Some in andaround Hospice and the dying say they can feel the soul of a loved oneleaving the body. Some even say they can see the soul of a belovedfamily member or animal leaving the body. A difficult concept totranslate into our often uncivil, chaotic, smarmy society of late.Charlie St. Cloud is not a movie for the sensory minded or hard heartedperson. Better also if one has read the book before viewing the movieas its ethereal nature may be lost on the non-enlightened. This movie would have been a wonderful opportunity for ParamountStudios to promote Hospice. Zac Efron is a talented, young 'old soul' of an actor whose intelligentperformance carries the movie along, as the subject matter is difficultto translate onto the grand, exciting, loud screen. He is also the mosthandsome actor to hit the big screen since a young Tyrone Power with asubtle soul, kind eye, and the old world mannerisms of a youngLauerence Olivier.Kim Basinger and especially Ray Liotta add a maturity and familiarityto the movie cast as they are seasoned and special actors.Amanda Crew has an unusual calm, quiet, quality around her acting notfound in most leading ladies. Charlie Tahan is a delight as he is surprisingly mature and mostcompetent in his first big performance on the big screen.Slow down, breathe and take your entire enlightened PG-13 aged familyto this melancholy yet lovely movie and enjoy family time together.Remember, friends and family are forever.Katherine Barrett Baker, Director of The Sabot School of Etiquette,Manakin-Sabot, Virginia www.betteretiquette.blogspot.com

Nat_howe2

(2012-03-23 08:45:10)

Still unsure.

After watching this I didn't come away thinking much of it.The acting was good and everything but for me the story line fell aparttowards the end.There was some beautiful scenes that were well filmed so its without adoubt watch-able.I would also say it wasn't predictable which is good but sometimes Icouldn't keep up and didn't understand a few conclusions to differentparts of the story line.However Efron played the lead well and it was believable...I think I'llhave to watch it again to get a good feel for it. But as it stands Ifeel it could have been allot better.

(2012-03-23 00:43:47)

Zac Efron's Fabulous Performance

This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud (DVD) What a great movie, a little predictable, but not too much. It had a happy ending, and in this case predictability was a good thing, I was hoping it would end the way it did. Charlie St cloud is a kid who seemed to have it all going for him. He loved sailing and practised it religiously. He got so good at it that he recieved a scholarship to Stanford University. But when a car accident takes his little brothers life, Charlie's guilt and loss cripples him mentally. He now has the ability to communicate with dead, specifically is little brother who he meets everyday before sundown to play catch. This movie is a tear jerker, the love between the brothers was too much to bear. I guess it helps that Zac Efron is just so damn gorgeous you simple can't not love him. Great movie, Fabulous performance by Zac Efron as Charlie St Cloud, this is the beginning for Zac, I hope he stays away from silly movie roles and moves forward and up with dramatic parts, he is VERY good at it.

priyantha-bandara

(2012-03-19 13:59:36)

Oh Charlie !!

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!!

ThatDoesntMatter

(2012-03-19 02:12:05)

Nothing special

I don't mind soppy stories. If they're well done. This one wasn't.Was it the script? Craig Pearce seems to have lost it, then. I haven'tread the book, so you have to convince me with the film story.Did not. It was formulaic and not very entertaining.Was it the director? I love 17 Again, but am no fan of Igby goes down.Hard to tell.Was it Zac Efron? Well, he seems to have chosen the bland way of actingnow, I remember him saying in an interview that his approach used to be"show it all", and he's learning to "act from inside". Well, I thoughtthe old way worked for him (by the way, I'm way past my teenage years,I'm just a film buff, and yes, I like high school flicks - if they'redone well), maybe it was the bland script, but it just wasn'tconvincing enough. Wrong track, Zac... Amanda Crew looks like Molly Ringwald, I cannot say anything else abouther, this was no film for anyone's possible acting abilities toshine...Was it the editing? A bit. Build it up with a few loose scenes,everything remained unconnected after that - though that is due to afaulty script as well.Was it the music? The overly dramatic score for sure, the songs werefine.Was it the cinematography? I found it too sweet, too much landscapeyand too little else.So, an average effort all in all.I was moved when I realized he stopped his life to be with his imaginedbrother, and I liked his mate. I knew there was a twist of some kind,so that was easily guessed at.The rest is mediocre-soppy, not good-soppy. Nothing new, nothingspecial.

(2012-03-15 14:54:21)

best movie this year!!!!!

I was surfing channels and caught the beginning of Charlie St. Cloud on HBO. stopped to watch a few minutes and didn't move for the entire movie. Never followed Zac's career before (I'm a little older than he is ;D ) but I found myself absolutely n love with him, the character of his little brother and the entire cast (huge fan of James Franco so u can imagine how shocked I was when I fell for the character Lt. Sully, actor brother of James, Lord have mercy...haha). I found the movie addicting. I can't pass the channel if the movie is on now! no matter if the the movie is starting, in the middle or near the ending...gotta watch. AND YES, I have ordered the movie and it's on the way. I would recommend this movie before all others to all my fellow movie lovers. The story line is mesmerizing. I loss my sister several years ago and although we are much older than the characters in this movie, I still find myself wishing that the ending to her life and life as I knew it with her in it could have had an ending like Charlie and Sam's (meet at sunset cannons, come hell or high water,I promise!!)...if only for a while. RECOMMEND THE MOVIE 100%!!!! LOVED IT...LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT...I ACTUALLY THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OSCAR WORTHLY BACK DURING IT'S TIME OF RELEASE. LOVE IT!!!!!

(2012-03-14 23:34:59)

A good movie.

This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud (Amazon Instant Video) Everything Zach does is touching. I really don't know why that is but I guess some people were just born with "it." This movie was simply amazing! A compelling film which pulled at your heart strings! Zac's performance in this movie was A+ as usual. And the storyline ran as smooth as can be. It was a little predictable but in a good way. I definitely recommend this movie but don't forget your tissues because I cried a bit. :)

(2012-03-12 13:17:40)

Universal Pictures Misses the Mark

I rented this movie on NetFlix. Would have rated it better until I discovered that the rental version did not include the Bonus portion even though it was on the menu. I guess that Universal Pictures marketing decided that they could sell DVD's if they didn't include this in the rental DVD. For me it had the opposite effect, an now when I go to buy a DVD I will make sure it is NOT Universal Pictures. I seriously doubt that people will flock to the store to buy a DVD just to get the Bonus portion. Seems like Universal Pictures has an idiotic Marketing/Management group.Charlie St. Cloud

perkypops

(2012-03-11 17:18:52)

Enjoyable whimsy despite its bigger flaws

There are many parallels to other twisty, turning, "are they alive ordead?" films of this genre that probably do it at lot better but BurrSteers effort is undeniably entertaining. He has some great acting fromCharlie Tahan in particular to raise the rating a notch or two too.The opening is neatly crafted as back story explaining how brothersCharlie (Efron) and Sam (Tahan) are as inseparable in death as in life.Fast forward five years and we have the revelation of a gift Charliemay, or may not, have. The story takes over from there as a charminglymeandering exploration of promises, principles, reasons and deeply heldbeliefs. Zac Efron gives a goodish but slightly uneven presentation ofthe "man with a mission", his own worse enemy, but also one of hisword. There are moments when Efron is very convincing but there areothers when he seems to be going through the motions. What CharlieTahan succeeds in doing is taking the simple and raw and keeping itsimple and raw, something Efron needs to work on.Amanda Crew is good as the romantic interest and there are a couple ofcameos from Kim Basinger and Ray Liotta.Now I will not plot spoil to reveal the bigger flaws in the script butI was not expecting a revelation to be made in quite the way it was,and at the time was left thinking - that's stupid it should have beendone differently without spoiling the story - but that is show businessfor you! Overall it is a worthwhile film with a reasonable point tomake. I give it seven out of ten.