Charlie Countryman is a beautifully photographed, masterfully acted, and completely frustrating mess of a film.
After the death of his mother, Charlie (Shia LeBeouf), is told by the woman’s ghost that he should to go to Bucharest. The drug-addled, wayward youth jumps at the chance to follow his mother’s wishes and books a seat on a plane to a city he’s less than familiar with. Once on board, he befriends an elderly man who tells the story of his beautiful daughter awaiting his arrival. If you have seen the trailer, you know the man ends up dead midflight. On a mission from a deceased family member whilst sitting next to a corpse, one might think our hero would immediately abort mission. However, Charlie treks on, especially after one glimpse of the stunningly beautiful yet totally bereft daughter, Gabi (Evan Rachel Wood), in the flesh. The two exchange pleasantries, but this is not enough for Charlie. Our naive American protagonist is in love at first glance.
That being said, Eastern Europe has never looked quite so lush. The debut director, Fredrik Bond, puts the viewer at ease in the dangerous and chaotic city with stellar photography. The city’s landmarks take center stage as the camera picks up on every beam of light and reflection with expertise. The director, best known for working on artist Moby’s Play, as well as a bumper crop of visually arresting commercials brings an interesting sensibility to the film which comes alive especially in the slow motion and action sequences. It is here, that the viewer forgets about the plot’s shortcomings and revels in the character’s plight.
Referencing such films as The Sixth Sense and Three Days of the Condor it is evident that Charlie Countryman’s writer (Matt Drake) and director had high hopes for the postmodern romance/action/comedy hybrid, as they should. Shia LeBeouf plays the down and out character with a fresh perspective and proves that you can be both nuanced and over the top. Mads Mikkelson gives another incredible turn imbued with his trademark quiet menace and cold stare. It is Evan Rachel Wood, though, who steals the show. Her Gabi is both reserved and deadly, sometimes in the same take. She nails the Romanian accent and delivers a powerful performance that is both daring and fun to watch. Wood is an expert at playing female characters flirting with danger (Thirteen, True Blood, Pretty Persuasion), but here she walks the fine line of femme fatale and woman on the verge of a breakdown with ease and grace. You never feel bad for Gabi, although it would be easy to given her situation. Instead, the viewer applauds the character’s bravado. This is solely, because of the believability and ease in which the actress attacks the role.
Shia LaBeouf in “Charlie Countryman.” © 2013 – Millennium Entertainment.
As the film pulses closer to the end, the viewer is none the wiser as to why Charlie is in his current predicament except that he is a dumb tourist who deserves what he gets. It would be interesting to know what the Swedish director is really trying to say about the certain brand of hopeless romanticism and naiveté the film displays as intrinsically American.
However, there are much worse ways to spend two hours than Charlie Countryman. In fact, the jarring tonal shifts and the journey the characters embark on may even excite some viewers. Charlie Countryman is subpar in the romance department, a surprisingly underwhelming action flick, and a less than amusing comedy, but there is something interesting and vibrant at the heart of the picture. Something that will elicit a visceral reaction from the viewer and, nowadays, that may be enough.
Matt Santia
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