Brian and Charles - SPOILER-FREE Review | Sundance 2022
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© Sundance Institute
Directed by: Jim Archer
Written by: David Earl, Chris Hayward
Starring: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Jamie Michie, Lowri Izzard, Mari Izzard
Runtime: 90 min
Synopsis: An endearing outlier, Brian (David Earl) lives alone in a Welsh valley, inventing oddball contraptions that seldom work. After finding a discarded mannequin head, Brian gets an idea. Three days, a washing machine, and sundry spare parts later, he’s invented Charles (Chris Hayward), an artificially intelligent robot who learns English from a dictionary and proves a charming, cheeky companion. Before long, however, Charles also develops autonomy. Intrigued by the wider world - or whatever lies beyond the cottage where Brian has hidden him away - Charles craves adventure.
Editor's Note: Original review was written for Filmhounds Magazine. Full article can be found below.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Brian and Charles will definitely end up as one of the most endearing, funniest, feel-good stories of the whole year. Jim Archer takes David Earl and Chris Hayward's original screenplay and uses their extraordinary, amusing performances to bring to life a narrative about true friendship and authentic human connections. The light humor consistently forces the audience to let go of strong, loud laughs, either through genuinely hilarious interactions between the two protagonists or using physical comedy and brilliant song selection. It may not be never-seen-before content or as inventive as expected, but it manages to deliver a memorable, entertaining, heartfelt story with beautiful messages. A must-watch!
