So I finally saw Charlie Bartlett, and now I will tell you why it was phenomenal. 

First, this film is made for me. Surprise, surprise, I enjoy films about precocious youths that match their charm only with their abnormality. I can't imagine why. The lead actor is just great, and you can actually believe him as a high schooler, which is a rare occurrence in these films, and a welcome treat. Sure, he's cool; but he's not really that much cooler than the coolest kid you knew growing up. You maybe admired him when you were a freshman and he was a senior, and you maybe weren't sure why. I'm not saying that there aren't moments that require suspension of disbelief, in fact there are many, but none of them were really plot-killers for me. I admit that I showed up to love this film, but I didn't plan to love it this much. 

Second, Robert Downey Jr. I think that there's a case to be made that he is the finest actor of his generation. He has this way of being magnetic and scenery chewing without being emotionally dishonest or unbelievable. He's fantastic at walking up to the line and smiling across it without quite stepping over it. 

Third, the direction. This film has gotten a lot of "Rushmore it ain't" criticism. Of course it has. The thing is, and this is a lesser film than that masterpiece, Charlie Bartlett doesn't aim for the same level of idiosyncratic delirium that Wes Anderson has made his hallmark. This feels like a back-handed compliment, but I think that this particular film benefits from not being directed by an auteur. That isn't to say that John Poll is strictly a workman class director, and he's not made enough for me to feel like I really have his voice, but he doesn't let himself and his station get bigger than the story or the actors. There's a temptation to take scripts like this and quirk the films sensibilities to the point of absurdity, but again, if you're not Wes Anderson, that tends to be an easy way to get yourself into trouble. Charlie Bartlett has just enough of a visual language to make it feel unique without making it twee, which again, is the temptation.

Fourth, the script. I'm not going to pretend that the script is perfect and new and completely original, because it's not, but I am very excited by Gustin Nash, who's absurdly young and already understands that the most powerful way to get the point across is to subvert some tropes and adhere to others, providing a familiar framework without the feeling that you're re-watching a film you've seen many, many times before. I think Youth in Revolt is going to be epic.

Just sayin'