This critic believes that when a movie doesn't connect with a viewer, the viewing experience is more likely to be frustrating if they can picture a another way in which it might. A fantastic example of this is the movie I'm charlie Walker. The latest movie from filmmaker Patrick Gilles strives to take many various directions, from didactic fiction in the vein of Spike Lee to a Blaxploitation homage, and it casts a talented cast to carry out that idea. However, none of these actually get beyond the level of an introduction, and the result is more akin to reenactments in a tv documentary. I'm charlie Walker almost always has the potential to be a better, more fascinating movie, but it never takes a step in that direction.
As the title suggests, the story follows Black trucker charlie Walker (Mike Colter) in a san francisco of the early 1970s that obviously doesn't want him there. When two Standard oil tankers collide in the san francisco Bay in 1971, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil, he finds himself with a chance for success after scheming his way into company. To the dismay of racists, the cleanup project is so large that charlie ends up running his own beach, which just so happens to be a pollution hotspot.
I'm charlie Walker is best described as being superficial, thus it shouldn't be necessary to write this as a criticism. The number of conversations charlie has that aren't immediately about the colour of his skin can be counted on one hand because Gilles' film is (very) obviously engaged in exploring racism. Charlie's job is to remove an unwanted black substance off the surface of a white beach, so there is potential for biting satire given that the film begins by criticising San Francisco's reputation as a haven of left-leaning tolerance.
The cast, who become test subjects in an experiment to see how challenging it is to overcome unfinished material, are the only real saving grace. No matter how frequently these artists show up, they are all underutilised and required to hold a single note for a lot longer than is entertaining or credible. The moments are likely to be missed since the movie has already persuaded its viewers to tune out, even if they each briefly appear as good actors are inclined to do.
As the title suggests, the story follows Black trucker charlie Walker (Mike Colter) in a san francisco of the early 1970s that obviously doesn't want him there. When two Standard oil tankers collide in the san francisco Bay in 1971, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil, he finds himself with a chance for success after scheming his way into company. To the dismay of racists, the cleanup project is so large that charlie ends up running his own beach, which just so happens to be a pollution hotspot.
I'm charlie Walker is best described as being superficial, thus it shouldn't be necessary to write this as a criticism. The number of conversations charlie has that aren't immediately about the colour of his skin can be counted on one hand because Gilles' film is (very) obviously engaged in exploring racism. Charlie's job is to remove an unwanted black substance off the surface of a white beach, so there is potential for biting satire given that the film begins by criticising San Francisco's reputation as a haven of left-leaning tolerance.
The cast, who become test subjects in an experiment to see how challenging it is to overcome unfinished material, are the only real saving grace. No matter how frequently these artists show up, they are all underutilised and required to hold a single note for a lot longer than is entertaining or credible. The moments are likely to be missed since the movie has already persuaded its viewers to tune out, even if they each briefly appear as good actors are inclined to do.
