Classic Friday : Charly (1968) 8/10

Starring : Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom
Director : Ralph Nelson
Running Time : 101 mins

A man named Charly (Robertson) – a kitchen worker with a low IQ – volunteers for an experimental treatment that will increase his intelligence, but as he becomes smarter his personality begins to change, and his outlook on life starts to become increasingly negative as he is faced with a world that considers him to be something of a side show attraction.

I thought I’d look back on this classic Oscar winner, seeing as there’s a remake in the offing starring Will Smith of all people in the lead role. This is a very well presented version of Daniel Keyes classic story Flowers For Algernon, and Cliff Robertson is incredibly believable as both the retarded and genius Charly. It’s a movie that is very much of it’s time, but it is so emotionally charged it has managed to survive as a great movie even today.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Green Mile