Robert Downey Jr. gives a great performance as silent film’s greatest star, nailing both Chaplin’s slapstick and his less happy personal life. Also joining the cast are: Anthony Hopkins, Dan Aykroyd as studio head Mack Sennett, Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks, and Chaplin’s daughter Geraldine playing her own grandmother.

It’s an entertaining though flawed film, guilty of both over-sentimentality and glossing over many aspects of the artist’s life, causing the viewer to question the veracity of any of it. Ultimately, Downey keeps it afloat.

Grade: B+

Chaplin (15th Anniversary Edition) is currently available.