Alfred Hitchcock said that "movies are life with the boring parts taken out." Perhaps he did not see "Charlie Bubbles." While this film seeks to show the shallowness of a rich upper class life it actually shows the shallowness of movies about boredom. The main character is supposed to be a well read author. This writer never writes anything; the viewer is free to make what they will of his blank stares at the world around him. Is he thinking some deep thoughts? Who knows? There is a kind of documentary feel about the film. Not a good documentary feel. They had all the elements of a good movie here, good acting, enough money to move around, adequate technical skills...yet nothing seems to happen. The main character is bored, the actors are bored, and the audience ends up being bored. As I watched this dreary parade of life's humdrum problems unfold episode after episode I wondered how the plot would resolve the situation.
When Charlie woke up one morning and looked out the bedroom window to see a hot air balloon I knew the film was over. Any viewer who did not realize the end was near was alerted by the happy-go-lucky music on the soundtrack as Charlie rushed to the balloon to end this tedious film.
While some might view this laborious work as a question about the 'meaning of life' others might well ask, "Why make such a long film if you have nothing to say?"
(p.s. Liza Minnelli may have started drinking after watching her big seduction scene in this film.)
When Charlie woke up one morning and looked out the bedroom window to see a hot air balloon I knew the film was over. Any viewer who did not realize the end was near was alerted by the happy-go-lucky music on the soundtrack as Charlie rushed to the balloon to end this tedious film.
While some might view this laborious work as a question about the 'meaning of life' others might well ask, "Why make such a long film if you have nothing to say?"
(p.s. Liza Minnelli may have started drinking after watching her big seduction scene in this film.)