Chaplin (film) for its high production values, but many critics dismissed it as an overly glossy biopic. One critic wrote that the screenplay "endeavors to cover too much ground. The life of Charlie Chaplin was so vast and varied that a film is far too restrictive a format to give it justice." "Chaplin" currently holds a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 50 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Chaplin" boasts a terrific performance from Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role, but it isn't enough to overcome a formulaic biopic that pales in comparison to its subject's classic films." The
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin Sarris, Jeanine Basinger and Chaplin's children Geraldine, Michael and Sydney Chaplin. The documentary also benefits from insight from key Chaplin biographers David Robinson and Jeffrey Vance. It premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and also served as the closing night film on May 25, 2003. In chronological order explore the work of Charlie Chaplin and shed light on the controversies related to his personal life. Upon its Cannes premiere, the film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 95% of 19 film critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.5