Skip to main content

Brian and Charles (2022)


Brian and Charles is a 2022 comedy drama film directed by Jim Archer, in his feature debut, from a screenplay by David Earl and Chris Hayward, who also star in the film.

After a particularly harsh winter Brian goes into a deep depression; completely isolated and with no one to talk to, Brian does what any sane person would do when faced with such a melancholic situation. He builds a robot.

Freddy's Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

F: Robotic Voice: Warning! Warning! This movie is incredibly boring.
We begin this AI-themed week with a tedious and unoriginal "mockumentary" from Wales about a foolish scientist who builds an equally incompetent robot using parts from a washing machine. If you were hoping for an intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking AI fiction film that would stretch your imagination and make you ponder the future, this is not the right choice.

Brian sucks GIF
Go away Brian! You suck!
F: Our main character, Brian, played by David Earl, is just terrible. He is clearly attempting to imitate Ricky Gervais' style from The Office, but it falls flat and is cringeworthy. At some point in the movie, the mockumentary style disappears, which is confusing and poorly executed. One moment Brian is talking to the director behind the camera, and the next there is only the robot and Brian behind a solid fourth wall. The rest of the actors are forgettable and the plot is basic, uninspired, and full of cliches.

Charles Robot GIF
VoilΓ‘, the stupid robot...
F: Ultimately, Krasnaya and I fell asleep while watching this film and went to bed earlier than planned. We don't care to know how it ended. Do not believe the positive reviews on IMDB; they are likely purchased. This movie is not funny and it does not explore the theme of AI at all; it is simply another retelling of the Geppetto and Pinocchio story without the growing nose. Skip it or use it as a sleep aid.

Charles Robot 2 GIF
Ok, I've chuckled here.
Freddy's Score: 21/100

FINAL SCORE

FLYING CUCKOO CLOCK

RIDE TO TOWN

Our blog is updated every day at 21:00 (WEST).

Comments

🎬 Join the CineIt Movie Club!

Get exclusive reviews and recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a great movie again!

🍿

Support CineIt

Enjoy my rants?
Help keep the popcorn flowing!

Buy Me Some Popcorn

Popular posts from this blog

Sonatine (1993)

Sonatine is a 1993 Japanese yakuza film directed, written and edited by Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in the film. It won numerous awards and became one of Kitano's most successful and praised films, garnering him a sizable international fan base. The title Sonatine comes from the musical term sonatina. Kitano said that when learning the piano, when the learner gets to sonatinas they have to decide where they want to go, whether it is to classical, jazz or popular music; marking the point of crucial decision making. This refers to the character Murakawa in the film. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_Return Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108188/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** K: So, the list of Kitano films we watched continues to grow. This time we had an absolutely amazing picture - Sona...

Kpop Demon Hunters (2025)

Plot Summary: Three talented young K-pop trainees discover they have supernatural abilities to battle ancient demons lurking in modern-day Korea. They must balance their demanding training for a much-anticipated debut with their secret mission to protect the world. Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Screenplay: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Producer: Michelle Wong Music: Marcelo Zarvos Starring: Arden Cho as Rumi May Hong as Mira Ji-young Yoo as Zoey Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu Yunjin Kim as Celine Ken Jeong as Bobby Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Peer Pressure & Pleasant Surprises My daughter came home from school the other day looking like she'd been left out of the cool kids' club because she was the only one who hadn't seen Kpop Demon Hunters. I knew right then my Satur...

Gunslingers (2025)

Plot Summary: In 1903 New York, a former gunslinger who has sworn off violence gets pulled back into a world of crime and betrayal when family secrets and old enemies resurface. Director: Brian Skiba Screenplay: Brian Skiba Producers: Randall Batinkoff, Brian Skiba, Laurie Love, Scott Reed Cinematography: Patrice Lucien Cochet Music: Richard Patrick Starring: Nicolas Cage as Ben Stephen Dorff as Thomas Keller Heather Graham as Val Scarlet Rose Stallone as Bella Tzi Ma as Lin Jeremy Kent Jackson as Robert Keller Costas Mandylor as Jericho   ***SPOILER ALERT*** An AI-Generated Mess The first thing that hits you when Gunslingers starts is an AI slop rendition of New York in 1903. Oh boy, I thought, we're off to a great start. The film then throws this bizarre mix at you: amateur-looking shots that seem filmed on a smar...

La Mante (2017)

Plot Summary: Twenty-five years after being imprisoned, Jeanne Deber, a notorious serial killer known as "The Mantis," offers to help the police catch a copycat killer, but only if she can work with her estranged son, who is now a police officer. Director: Alexandre Laurent Writers: Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Nicolas Jean, GrΓ©goire Demaison, Laurent Vivier Music: FranΓ§ois Lietout Starring: Carole Bouquet as Jeanne Deber / The Mantis Fred Testot as Damien Carrot Jaques Weber as Charles Carrot Pascal Demolon as Dominique Feracci Manon Azem as Lucie Carrot Serge Riaboukine as Crozet Robinson Stevenin as Alex Crozet FredΓ©rique Bel as Virginie Delorme Jump to the Plot Explained Section   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Boring, Wannabe Hannibal Lecter This is officially the first TV series review I'm doing here at Cine It. I'm no...

Cinanima Festival - 9th November

My Last Day at Cinanima (With Eva) For my second and, ridiculously, last day (lol) in Espinho for the 49ΒΊ Cinanima Festival, I took my daughter Eva to the Family Screening. This one was called "Mini Micro," a selection of short animations put together by Casa de AnimaΓ§Γ£o, held on November 9th at the Centro Multimeios. I'm gutted that I couldn't stay for the whole week... 😞 I really wanted to see the international and national competition screenings. But for now, I'm just doing my own little competition here at Cine It. πŸ˜› So, here's the full list of the shorts we saw, ranked from my favorite to my least favorite. πŸ“… A Quick Note By the time I'm posting this, the festival is still running (it ends on November 23rd). If you're anywhere near Espinho, make sure you catch it. It's seriously worth the visit. πŸ₯‡ Cine It Gold: Tiger (2010) In first place, no contest, is Tiger (or Tige...

Racketeer (2007)

Plot Summary: The film follows Sayan, a talented student and boxer in Almaty, Kazakhstan, during the post-Soviet 1990s. Drawn into the criminal underworld, Sayan rises through the ranks as an extortionist, facing tough decisions and moral dilemmas. The film portrays his journey through violence, betrayal, and the harsh realities of life in a lawless environment. Director: Akan Satayev Screenplay: Timur Zhaksylykov Starring: Sayat Isembayev as Sayan Murat Bisembin as Ruslan Zhan Baizhanbayev as Jan Saken Aminov as Aman   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions and Setting Second movie of the week, and now we are finally in Kazakhstan. This movie also starts with a newborn baby crying—what's up with that? My initial thoughts were that this felt like a Guy Ritchie-style film, but without the plot complexities. I'm a sucker for those stylish shots and quick montages that seamlessly transi...