Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Charly Blu-ray Movie Review

A gem featuring a stellar performance by Cliff Robertson

Charly is a terrific dramatic production which is based on the novel written by Daniel Keyes. The feature was executive produced by Selig J. Seligman (The High Commissioner, Garrison's Gorillas). Cliff Robertson stars as Charly in this impressive dramatic exploration of one man’s transformation from a impaired adult who struggles to formulate even his basic thoughts and words to an intelligent gentleman after undergoing an experimental procedure that turns the befuddled gent into a super-smart genius with world-class knowledge.

As the storyline slowly unfolds, audiences who experience Charly get to see the inner turmoil and struggle of this mentally challenged man as he attempts to overcome his high degree of learning disabilities. Feeling shoehorned in by society while surrounded by his much smarter colleagues at work, Charly doesn’t wish to be written off altogether by those around him. Though his co-workers at the factory tend to poke fun at him daily his own inner strength pulls him towards achieving something greater and more rewarding in life.

Determined to prove that he is worth more than others think of him, Charly agrees to a test experiment and surgery which is life altering. He meets the beautiful and intelligent Alice Kinnian (Claire Bloom), who helps him along his newfound journey. The results? Society's undervalued, learning-disabled man turns into one of the smartest people around. And Charly might just find some romance along the way, to boot.

The film has a impressive production aesthetic which is strengthened by the superb cinematography by Arthur J. Ornitz (Death Wish, Serpico). There are so many sequences in the film which feel enhanced from the scope of the visuals: from the experimental nature of the detailed study being conducted in the film to the outdoor landscapes of Charly swinging by on schoolyard swings. There is simply something compelling about this film's visuals and its hypnotic style.

"What? Do you think I'm stupid? I'm a genius!"

The music score is composed by the brilliant Ravi Shankar (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of Apu) and is absolutely sublime. Having been a massive fan of his score collaborations with filmmaker Satyajit Ray and especially the work done on the brilliant Apu Trilogy, it was interesting to hear the Indian composer's score style employed in a Hollywood production. While I wouldn't say it reaches the same heights of some of his other work (from the Apu trilogy or the likes of tracks featured on the great Darjeeling Limited soundtrack)

The screenplay was written by Hollywood legend Stirling Stilliphant (In the Heat of the Night, The Towering Inferno). Though the storyline could have easily become overbearingly emotional or just downright offensive, the opposite is true. The film has the mark and craft of a genuine artist with a clear understanding of storytelling. Charly is a fully formed character and it's fascinating to see the journey unfold for him as his life goes on such a peculiar swing-field of experiences while undergoing such a life-altering event as the brain-changing

Ralph Nelson (Lillies on the Field, Once a Thief) capably directs Charly with far more creativity than one would expect. Although the story feels like something which a Hollywood producer would want made into a typical drama, Nelson employ's a much more arthouse style to the production with some interesting multi-panels in some scenes (bringing to mind De Palma's Carrie and some of his other iconic works) as well as bringing a more artistic sensibility to the film's conclusion. The creativity employed by Nelson can even be strongly felt through his choice of collaborators (especially in using Shankar for the score). Just like the character himself, Charly is a far better and more entertaining film than one expects.

Charly Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Charly arrives on Blu-ray for the first time from distributor Kino Lorber. The high-quality Blu-ray release includes a brand-new 2K restoration of the feature. The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation is a striking transfer of the film.

The most impressive aspect of the release is how naturally filmic the image looks throughout the film presentation. Fine film grain is preserved from beginning to end and is not subject to egregious DNR application. The image looks natural and exactly as it should given the film elements. Although colors never quite leap off of the screen at any point, it's clear that this presentation is a faithful reproduction of the cinematography. The image looks outstanding clear and is free from annoying damage or wear to the film print used. This is a remarkably clean transfer of the film. With a strong encode, Kino has done an impressive job of bringing the film to Blu-ray.

Charly Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is presented with a lossless mix in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. This strong dual mono audio presentation has excellent clarity and is a worthwhile reproduction of the film's sound-stage. Although the film lacks the punchier dynamics of a modern film production, dialogue reproduction is excellent throughout and does not disappoint. The music score composed for the film also sounds quite excellent on this release. This is a wonderfully clear sound reproduction which is free from distracting cracks or hiss on the track. True to the original sound design, Charly has received a worthwhile audio track which capably reproduces the sound with its superb lossless mix.

Charly Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson

Trailers for the following Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases are also provided: The Devil's Brigade (SD, 3 min. 46 sec.), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (SD, 3 min. 5 sec.), Junior Bonner (SD, 2 min. 30 sec.), The Killing of Sister George (SD, 3 min.), and The Group (SD, 3 min. 47 sec.).

Charly Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charly surprised me with its heartfelt story exploring one man's surprising journey through life. Cliff Robertson delivers a terrific performance as the title character. Despite the understandable difficulties of the character in overcoming his learning disabilities, Charly tries to pursue something more out of his life even when others around him don't see any potential in him. The screenplay is well-constructed and the story feels fully formed. Featuring a strong video-audio presentation with a new 2K remaster, Charly is a notable drama which is worthy of discovery or re-acquaintance on this excellent Blu-ray release.