The Film
Charlie Sheen has become an interesting character over the years. He was once a teen heartthrob and intriguing performer, but the actor has since opted for booze, women, drugs and later -- TV shows. Not that TV is an awful thing. Thanks to Two and a Half Men, Sheen was once television's highest paid actor. At least he was that, until he went on a tirade about his employer and got replaced by Ashton Kutcher.
Sheen bounced back (he always does) with another TV show and a starring role in A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. This is the first time that Sheen has appeared on the big screen as someone besides himself, since 2006's The Big Bounce. And that may be stretching things a bit. That's because the actor is playing yet another Charlie in the middle of yet another downward spiral.
However, Charles isn't an A-list actor; he's a hot '70s pop artist. Apparently, he's a good one, but he's also a bit of a jackass, a womanizer, and drives a car with fried eggs and bacon on the side. However, when Charles gets dumped by the girl of his dreams, he gets a little weird -- and so does this movie.
Writer/director Roman Coppola has peppered this little-seen film with a lot of big-name talent. And although his name is nowhere in the credits, it's easy to see the influence of Coppola's frequent collaborator, Wes Anderson. Besides the style and the soundtrack, Coppola even dips into Anderson's casting pool, putting both Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray in the film.
Of course, this isn't a Wes Anderson film. At its best, it's like something Anderson would come up with after a trip out to the desert with some peyote. At its worst, it's like the Cliff's Notes version of Sheen's ramblings circa early 2011. That said, it has a stellar cast, which also includes Katheryn Winnick, Aubrey Plaza, Patricia Arquette, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Despite that great cast and some stellar imagery, however, you probably don't want A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. It's just kind of messy in there.
The Picture
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III relies on its imagery to get its muddled, trippy point across -- whatever that may be. However, this 1.85:1 image is a pretty vivid experience, with bright colors, varied backdrops, and a lot of interesting details. There's a lot to look at in this movie, with Sheen's face, the fried egg car, the scenery, the large hairstyles, and more.
The Sound
The film's title character doesn't just have an active imagination. He also has a very active DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The film's dialogue is always clear, but there's a surprising amount of surround sound, which is entertaining and fairly insane. Cowboys and indians, explosions, screeching cars, helicopters and the bizarre fantasy sequences in the film fill out the soundfield rather nicely.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
With Coppola, this cast and the subject matter, it's hard not to go into this film with a lot of hope. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III is pretty on the outside, but will leave viewers exhausted from this bad acid trip put to film. A glimpse inside the mind of Charles Swan III definitely sounds like a great idea on paper, but giving it an entire movie is a whole other story. Proceed with a certain amount of caution.
Product Details
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