Charles Manson and his cult have been inspiring the media for years. There’s barely a couple of years that go by without either a documentary, feature film, or television series created that focuses on them. Most recently, David Duchovny starred in television series Aquarius, and Manson will later this year appear in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. For those not familiar Manson, he started his own ‘free love’ commune up in the Californian hills. There he taught his devoted followers to worship him and had such control over them that he manipulated several of them to commit murder. The most high profile of his victims was the partner of Roman Polanski and actor, Sharon Tate. New film Charlie Says, delves into this control from a different angle to previous films.
Signature Entertainment
Typically a film about or featuring Manson sees him take centre stage, here though he’s more of a backseat character, the story instead following three of the women, whom committed murdered for him, while they are incarcerated. The story joins Leslie, Patricia and Susan after their incarceration for the murder of Sharon Tate. Here they meet with Karlene Faith (the film being based on the book of her story), a young woman determined to help these delusional young women. Even in prison, Charlie still has a hold over them, something that becomes apparent as the film flashbacks to their former lives.
Directed by Mary Harron of American Psycho, Charlie Says is a very different film to the cult classic. Charlie Says has a slow and deliberate pace to it. Harron slowly builds in tension and unease as Leslie (played by Game of Thrones star Hannah Murray) joins Charlie’s commune. At times the pace is too slow, and it takes a long while before the film really gets going. Those here for the infamous murders will be in for a long wait as they don’t make an appearance until the last act.
Although more of a background character for much of the film, a film about Manson’s life is only as good as the actor portraying him. Manson is known for having been an extremely charismatic personality, and whilst Matt Smith is good in the role, he fails to quite master the magnetic power Manson had. Some of this might be down to the over-imposing fake beard that he has to act through. It’s a lot of facial hair, and it swamps him.
An interesting angle on a much-covered subject, Charlie Says offers a more subdued approach than some of its peers. The result is a slow, almost tediously slow at times, drama.
Signature Entertainment presents Charlie Says on Digital HD 22nd July & DVD 29th July.
