Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Brian and Charles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 1, 2024

Brian and Charles is one of the more peculiar films of recent memory. It's a very simplistic story on its surface: it's the story of a man with little in the way of social skills who builds himself a companion robot. Throughout the film, he flirts with the possibility of love and faces the very real dangers of bullying (yes, even in adulthood). Deeper, however, is a look at humanity, the need for companionship, and the very real differences that are manifest in the physical, mental, and emotional realms that can bring people together, pull them apart, or draw them into awkward isolation. The lead character is a tinkerer who thinks more highly of his inventions than they are really worth, but they nevertheless provide him a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment, even if it's just affixing a bottle to a plunger handle to have easy access to a soothing beverage while doing the nasty work of unclogging a pipe. There are really people like this out there, and it's nice to see even the most bizarre of humanity to be put in the spotlight of what turns out to be a really good little film.

Brian (David Earl) is an inventor, or maybe better said a tinkerer. It’s a tough time in his life – he lives alone, he’s socially handicapped, and he’s regularly a victim of a local adult bully named Eddie (Jamie Michie) – and, to fill his days, he simply builds whatever comes to mind with whatever he has on hand. He has crafted impractical items like an “egg belt” and maybe more practical things like a flying machine made from a fan, a shopping cart, a bike, and a few other odds and ends. Even if his inventions, like the flying machine, continue to fail (or even catch on fire!), Brian continues to press forward, salvaging junk, dumpster diving, inventing and building, and living a very quaint, if not directionless and loveless, life.

Everything changes when, one day, he comes across a few odds and ends that he decides to use to build an artificially intelligent robot. Why he believes he can do that when he can’t even put together a road- and sky-worthy flying shopping cart is anyone’s guess, but build it he does and alive it randomly becomes. The robot, called “Charles,” absorbs information – it reads the dictionary – but it does not necessarily understand how things really work. It can identify things, but because it is without a heart or soul, it cannot really grasp the size of the world or the real purpose or value of things. It’s also socially awkward, so in almost every way it’s very much made in the image of its creator. Brian and Charles pass their time bonding, playing darts, cooking and cleaning together, jousting, and dancing on the bed. As Brian and Charles’ relationship develops and Charles’ understanding of things gradually increases, Charles demands more and more freedom to explore his world and interact with its inhabitants. That includes the shy Hazel (Louise Brealey) who is vaguely attracted to Brian, and he her, though both are too shy to move the relationship forward. But Charles becomes something of an ice breaker to help Brian and Hazel foster those feelings. However, Charles also catches Eddie’s attention, and Eddie holds nefarious plans for Charles.

Brian and Charles is a peculiar film about the extremes of humanity. On one side are the societal outcasts, people who live on the fringe, finding purpose and companionship in the most unlikely of ways and places. They eventually clash with another fringe, the bullies, people who make fun of the "lesser" people, steal from them, and generally make life difficult. No real reasons are given why people are like they are in the movie, and there are no real motivations for either side, so in a way the film is a very simplistic, yet very raw, look at the basic human condition as seen through the unique lens of "artificial intelligence."

Charles is a robot with very little in the way of social skills. He does not fit in, not physically as he is made from a washing machine, giving him a very disproportionate humanoid appearance, but he does not fit in mentally, given his vast knowledge but limited ability to process and make use of that knowledge. He is in many ways much like Brian, then: filled with a basic understanding of how things work and why but never really able to put it together, either in terms of technological tinkering or socialization. This is a film ripe for deep dive analysis. Above in this review is a very superficial, first-thought sort of look into the film, but audiences with an open mind and a willingness to engage with the characters and the material, to look beyond its superficial absurdity, and give it a close, personal analysis should find it very rewarding and thought provoking.

Brian and Charles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal releases Brian and Charles to Blu-ray with a proficient 1080p transfer. The film was digitally shot, and the digital image transfers very nicely to the Blu-ray format. The picture is fairly clean, though some mild noise does crop into frame in most lower-light shots. Overall clarity is fine, boasting good, efficient textures throughout, which are vital when the camera lingers, for example, on Brian's shop full of junk and odds and ends, and of course on the sweater Charles wears throughout the film. Various exterior locales are likewise sharp, down to grass and tree trunks and other qualities and characteristics in the natural world. Close-ups offer satisfying complexity, nothing to really blow the seasoned Blu-ray viewer away, but certainly complex enough to satisfy format expectations. Colors are fine, offering good stability, nice saturation, and neutral temperature and contrast. Black levels can get a little dense and veer towards crush (look at the 1:02:45 for an example). White balance is OK, and flesh tones look fine. This is hardly a memorable 1080p image, but it satisfies base requirements.

Brian and Charles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like the video presentation, there is nothing at all remarkable with this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's audio needs are quite simple, but the track does open up on occasion for a slightly fuller and more satisfying listening experience. There is some nice spacing and heft to some thunder around the 14-minute mark, and some impressive space and yield to music a few moments later. Gently immersive falling rain at the 41:57 mark is another moment of note. However, most of the track is very simple, with straightforward cues, limited ambience, and frankly not much going on. Dialogue is the main component, and Universal's track presents the spoken word with faultless center placement, good prioritization, and natural lifelike quality.

Brian and Charles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Brian and Charles contains only one supplement: a Gag Reel (1080p, 3:16). No other extras are included. The release does not include a "top menu" screen. The bonus feature, as well as on-screen subtitle options, must be accessed by a simplistic in-film pop-up menu that reduces the film to a thumbnail. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Brian and Charles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brian and Charles is unique, and that is a quality that is far too lacking in today's cinema landscape. It's unique in approach, characterization, and even narrative superficial simplicity, all of which is balanced by a wonderfully deep story that audiences will think about for a long time after the film. It's not pretentious about it, either. It nicely balances that look at fringe humanity with great potential for emotional and psychological exploration which should keep the film playing for years to come. Universal's Blu-ray is very disappointing in terms of its lack of extras beyond a gag reel. However, the video and audio presentations are fine. Recommended!