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Albert Finney both directs and stars in this comedy drama about a successful writer's mid-life crisis attempts to re-connect with his working-class roots and estranged family. After becoming hugely wealthy and successful as a novelist in swinging sixties Britain, Charlie Bubbles' (Finney) indulgent lifestyle is wearing a little thin. Convinced he can fend off the boredom in his life, he takes to drinking and has an affair with his young American secretary (Liza Minnelli). But, as his crisis deepens, he starts to question his motivation and glitzy lifestyle. Finally realising he has to re-discover the basic human emotions that are missing in his life, he sets out to revisit his northern roots, and, in particular, his estranged wife Lottie (Billie Whitelaw) and son Jack (Timothy Garland).
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An original British movie that has finally made it onto DVD! Well done studios and thankyou!
29 Nov 2008
By Lou Knee
Amazon Verified Purchase
Delighted to see this unique movie has now made it to DVD. It's one of those I didn't think they'd ever do, but gradually studios are seeing the sense to produce DVDs of some pretty niche and uncommercial movies because at last they recognise their artistic and sometimes just mainly nostalgic value. This film has both, and remains the only movie Finney has, to date, directed, and as he's known to be a man who says what he means, looks like staying the only one. This original slice of life, semi autobiographical, semi road movie has some pretty distinctive direction and a notable, quite personal feeling screenplay by fellow Salfordian, Shelagh Delaney, not short of wit.
Although the thread is a very simple one, the way it is unravelled is inventive, full of character, and had a lot of film industry folk talking about an interesting new movie director to look out for. Alas we will probably never know how this briefly promising career would have panned out, but judged on the basis of this movie, it may have been a celebrated one. The career he chose to continue devoting himself to is indeed a celebrated one.
CB is one of those 'day in the life' semi realist type of films so its lack of plot or action won't really please the thrill seekers, I shouldn't think. Got generally favourable press at the time despite its rather predictable flop at the box office. But these days studios are realising the age old truth that artistic successes can be as valuable as purely commercial successes. Has a great cast too - Finney himself never fails to please, and there is Blakely in typically solid supporting role form, and Whitelaw at her best, proving to have real chemistry with Albert, which led to at least one other movie playing his estranged wife again.... Read more ›
Although the thread is a very simple one, the way it is unravelled is inventive, full of character, and had a lot of film industry folk talking about an interesting new movie director to look out for. Alas we will probably never know how this briefly promising career would have panned out, but judged on the basis of this movie, it may have been a celebrated one. The career he chose to continue devoting himself to is indeed a celebrated one.
CB is one of those 'day in the life' semi realist type of films so its lack of plot or action won't really please the thrill seekers, I shouldn't think. Got generally favourable press at the time despite its rather predictable flop at the box office. But these days studios are realising the age old truth that artistic successes can be as valuable as purely commercial successes. Has a great cast too - Finney himself never fails to please, and there is Blakely in typically solid supporting role form, and Whitelaw at her best, proving to have real chemistry with Albert, which led to at least one other movie playing his estranged wife again.... Read more ›
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By M. Cunliffe
Amazon Verified Purchase
Charlie Bubbles was Albert Finney's one and only shot at directing a film. It came out at the tail end of the 1960s and is clearly inspired by a lot of European cinema such as Antonioni and/or Fellini in it's abstract directorial touches and it's pace and narrative structure.
I'm not quite sure why Finney only directed once in his career, but I can sense that this was a very personal project; one that he simply had to direct and so perhaps once done he never truly felt the need again. It is personal because it offers the tale of a very succesful man, in this case a writer, who came from humble beginning in Salford nr Manchester and who is now, at his height, feeling detached and bored, clearly craving something but he doesn't know what. Now compare this with Finney himself, a very successful man, in his case an actor, who came from humble beginnings in Salford nr Manchester and who perhaps at the time of the film was detached and bored craving a new experience and as we can see, he chose to direct.
The film is a perfect snapshot of the 60s as we imagine or recall them. For me, having lived all my life in the North West of England I well remember the deserted, desolate knocked down streets that Finney's Bubbles drives his Rolls around whilst an excitable Liza Minnelli (a great little performance) rapidly takes snap shots of anything and everything. Indeed, another little treat for anyone from the North in watching this is seeing familiar acting faces of the region such as Bryan Mosely aka Alf Roberts of Coronation Street, John Ronane of Strangers, Joe Gladwin of Last Of The Summer Wine and the Hovis ads and Arthur Pentelow aka Mr Wilks of Emmerdale Farm.
But that is not to say this film is just a nostalgia fest.... Read more ›
I'm not quite sure why Finney only directed once in his career, but I can sense that this was a very personal project; one that he simply had to direct and so perhaps once done he never truly felt the need again. It is personal because it offers the tale of a very succesful man, in this case a writer, who came from humble beginning in Salford nr Manchester and who is now, at his height, feeling detached and bored, clearly craving something but he doesn't know what. Now compare this with Finney himself, a very successful man, in his case an actor, who came from humble beginnings in Salford nr Manchester and who perhaps at the time of the film was detached and bored craving a new experience and as we can see, he chose to direct.
The film is a perfect snapshot of the 60s as we imagine or recall them. For me, having lived all my life in the North West of England I well remember the deserted, desolate knocked down streets that Finney's Bubbles drives his Rolls around whilst an excitable Liza Minnelli (a great little performance) rapidly takes snap shots of anything and everything. Indeed, another little treat for anyone from the North in watching this is seeing familiar acting faces of the region such as Bryan Mosely aka Alf Roberts of Coronation Street, John Ronane of Strangers, Joe Gladwin of Last Of The Summer Wine and the Hovis ads and Arthur Pentelow aka Mr Wilks of Emmerdale Farm.
But that is not to say this film is just a nostalgia fest.... Read more ›
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By The CinemaScope Cat
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Amazon Verified Purchase
A popular and well known but disaffected writer (Albert Finney, who also directed) from a working class background leaves London for a weekend in Manchester in Northern England to visit his estranged wife (Billie Whitelaw, who won the BAFTA supporting actress for her work here) and young son (Timothy Garland). From a screenplay by Shelagh Delaney (A TASTE OF HONEY), this offbeat movie remains the only feature film directed by Finney which is a pity because he has a real director's eye. There's a wonderful sequence played out through multiple B&W screens simultaneously from a security camera watching all the rooms in a house as the characters enter and exit from different rooms as well as a bravado sequence at an all night cafe. Not all of it works. There's a silly scene in a post first class restaurant with Finney and Colin Blakely dumping food on each other that seems to come from another movie. The film is also notable for the film debut (excluding her cameo in IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME) of Liza Minnelli as Finney's American secretary. It's a plotless film, almost surreal in execution but engaging nevertheless. The superbly bleak photography is by Peter Suschitsky. With Yootha Joyce.
The Freemantle DVD from Great Britain is an above average anamorphic wide screen (about 1.77) transfer.
The Freemantle DVD from Great Britain is an above average anamorphic wide screen (about 1.77) transfer.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
British film of 1967, starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a young (and already nutty) Liza Minnelli. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France. Finney starred in and directed the movie for the only time. For her performance, Miss Whitelaw (rightly) won the 1968 British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Supporting Actress.
The character Charlie Bubbles was almost type-casting for the successful and charismatic Finney in terms of background; he had risen to film-stardom from a background as a bookie's son in the neighbouring, mainly working class City of Salford. Joe Gladwin plays a waiter serving breakfast in the Manchester hotel room. "I used to know your father sir. We're all very proud of you. Are you still working sir or do you just do the writing now?" Bubbles retorts "No. Just the writing" and hands him a bank note. This scene and others highlight the North-South divide - political and economic - that exists in Britain.
The film made great play of its Manchester setting, contrasting the return of its eponymous lead character, played by Finney, to his home city after achieving success as a writer in London. During his return he visits his former wife, played by Whitelaw. The film is a slightly surreal off-shoot of the kitchen sink drama in which Finney had achieved stardom in Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning of 1960. The film's writer Shelagh Delaney, had also achieved fame as the writer of another film in this genre - Tony Richardson's 1961 A Taste of Honey.... Read more ›
The character Charlie Bubbles was almost type-casting for the successful and charismatic Finney in terms of background; he had risen to film-stardom from a background as a bookie's son in the neighbouring, mainly working class City of Salford. Joe Gladwin plays a waiter serving breakfast in the Manchester hotel room. "I used to know your father sir. We're all very proud of you. Are you still working sir or do you just do the writing now?" Bubbles retorts "No. Just the writing" and hands him a bank note. This scene and others highlight the North-South divide - political and economic - that exists in Britain.
The film made great play of its Manchester setting, contrasting the return of its eponymous lead character, played by Finney, to his home city after achieving success as a writer in London. During his return he visits his former wife, played by Whitelaw. The film is a slightly surreal off-shoot of the kitchen sink drama in which Finney had achieved stardom in Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning of 1960. The film's writer Shelagh Delaney, had also achieved fame as the writer of another film in this genre - Tony Richardson's 1961 A Taste of Honey.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charlie dvd
The reason i bought this item is because my brother was in it for a fleeting moment he passed recently so it was something to remember him by when he was younger in 67
Published 2 months ago by Sheila Garside
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kitchen Sink Glamour!!
For anyone who remembers Channel 4's Swinging Sixties season of films, aired i think about 1985 or 86, late Friday night's usually ( before the Red Triangle season) Then surely... Read more
Published 6 months ago by West End Ted
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
I bought this DVD because i have admired Albert Finney's work for many years. The storyline was thin, but interesting with some great photography, until the end, which I found... Read more
Published 6 months ago by B. L. Potter
3.0 out of 5 stars
The slide into decadence
A little difficult to know where we are going with this one. Quite early on in the film I had the impression that this was going to be on the lines of "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End"... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Wilberfalse
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Hopeless Mess.
I was dissapointed with this film. It seemed to me to be trying to find itself and did not succeed for me.
When the film ended I was unsure what it was all about. Read more
When the film ended I was unsure what it was all about. Read more
Published 11 months ago by thewatcher
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bubble Hasn't Burst!
Although I was born in 1967, the year Albert Finney's directorial debut 'Charlie Bubbles' was released, I saw a number of his films when I was a child. Read more
Published 11 months ago by NAROLC
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charlie's Troubles
At first I found this movie unfulfilling. It didn't satisfy. The story remained up in the air (excuse the pun) its arc seemingly unfulfilled. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Merlin's Owl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Finney 2 Whitelaw 3
I've yet to be driven up the M6 to Manchester overnight in a Rolls Royce, but in 1967 it obviously wasn't all that different from what you got for your bus fare, and I know only... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Peter Street
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Modern Statement made 45 years ago...
This is an unusual film, by anyone's standards but unlike many films from the swinging 60's British 'New Wave' film scene, actually remains very watchable and whilst inevitably... Read more
Published on 14 April 2011 by Tim Kidner
3.0 out of 5 stars
Finney Fan is pleased ..
A totally self indulgent purchase ...
Slow going plot but a fantastic view of 60's life.
Finneys my favourite actor so I just had to have Charlie Bubbles
Slow going plot but a fantastic view of 60's life.
Finneys my favourite actor so I just had to have Charlie Bubbles
Published on 11 May 2009 by Radaboy
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