Charlie Bubbles (1968)
“What do you do all day?”
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Synopsis: |
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Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
Unfortunately, this is the most carefree we see Charlie throughout the entire film; after getting drunk with Blakely at a working men’s pub, he returns home to his glacially austere residence, with surveillance cameras set up in every room:
… and a young secretary (Minnelli) eager to do anything and everything for and with him.
However, Charlie is clearly both exhausted and unhappy, to the point where even a beautiful young assistant can’t meet his needs. A road trip to visit with his son results in an awkward outing to a soccer game:
… and his ex-wife seems equally miserable, raising chickens and making awful organic food from scratch while smoking non-stop.
The paparazzi won’t leave Charlie alone, either. What’s a poor rich man to do? Well, the film’s final scene provides one convenient option, though it can’t last for long. It’s easy to see why Finney gravitated towards this material — surely it mirrored many of his own sentiments and experiences — though it doesn’t leave the viewer with a particularly satisfying feeling, other than to be grateful for a lack of fame and fortune in our own lives. Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
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One thought on “Charlie Bubbles (1968)”
First viewing (4/21/21). Not must-see.
I had tried to watch this once or twice before – got into it a ways and gave up out of boredom. I forced myself this time to give it a full-watch.
Why are writers usually so dull when used as characters in film? For most of the running time, Finney (in his only feature film effort as director; he also did a tv movie years later – apparently well-received) is largely dull and says very little.
He’s very successful as a writer, but going through mid-life angst. It’s a bit like an Antonioni film in that respect (and, at one point, we see him looking through a book on foreign films – with Monica Vitti on the back cover)… ennui and all that.
Minnelli is his assistant. Kind of a nothing part, really.
Finally – in the film’s last 15 minutes – we get some ‘welcome’ drama when Finney arrives at the home of his ex (Whitelaw) and son (nicely, naturally played by Timothy Garland). But not much comes of that except a bit of lively dialogue and an observance of the media being annoying about getting a story for the local papers.
This is the kind of film that would never really have a workable ending, I suppose. The one that is suddenly thrown at us is meant to be symbolic – and it does look a bit ‘poetic’ – but it doesn’t help a film that is now (and understandably) largely forgotten.