Starring: Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Sydney Chaplin, Nigel Bruce, Norman Lloyd, Buster Keaton
Certificate: U
Genre: Drama, comedy
Awards: Best music
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but Charlie Chaplin had a voice for film. His soft tone soothes so well and makes him a joy to listen to. In Limelight - made 11 years after his first talkie, The Great Dictator - Chaplin plays the washed up comedian Calvero who stops Thereza (Bloom), a ballet dancer from killing herself. He then convinces her that life is still worth living whilst sinking further and further into failure and misery himself.Limelight is a truly touching film about how life always has something else to offer, even if you think the best of it is over. Obviously this can draw parallels with Chaplin's own career that make the film sadder.
Yet the film is overall uplifting and even features a comedy sketch with both Chaplin and his rival Buster Keaton, making Limelight watchable just for that brilliant sequence that people had always wanted to see.
Whilst not your typical Chaplin comedy, Limelight shows a much older man with much older woes that portray a melancholic but satisfied tone. The film shows that he still had what it takes even after his glory years had passed.
****Good
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