Stealing Chaplin (2020) Movie Review

Stealing Chaplin – Enjoyable Comedy

Director: Paul Tanter

Writer: Doug Phillips (Screenplay)

Starring: Simon Phillips, Anne-Carolyne Binette, Doug Phillips, Bianca Katz, Ken Bressers, Wayne Newton, Al Sapienza

Plot: Two brothers plot to steal the body of Charlie Chaplin and ransom is for a fortune.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Stealing Chaplin starts when a pair of con-artist brothers Cal (Simon Phillips) and Terry (Doug Phillips) need to find a way to make $30,000 for a loan shark they once borrowed money from a ruthless gangster, they must think quickly.

The pair come up with a scheme to steal the body a Charlie Chaplin, hoping to hold it for ransom to clear their debts. Only with the body missing the whole town becomes obsessed with finding the body or cashing in themselves on the reward.

Thoughts on Stealing Chaplin

Characters & Performances – Cal is the brains behind the two brothers, he is always thinking on his feet, while needing to cover up for his brother’s big mouth. He will look to talk out the troubles they find themselves in, while also trying to win the heart of a local waitress, he does act more like the carer of Terry along the way. Terry is the brother that isn’t as smart and ends up giving away most of the information the pair look to keep secret and ends up putting the pair in bigger trouble. Simon and Doug Phillips are great together in this film, showing the natural chemistry. Helen is the waitress that has seen everyone come through the city getting used to the stories being told by visitors and ending up getting involved in the brother’s plan. Bianca Katz is great in her role, which is filled with the most innocent nature in the film. Billy is the gangster that wants the money and will use all the threats to make sure he gets what he believes is his, holding the brothers up for everything they owe, using his connections to stay ahead of them. Al Sapienza does make for the great mob boss figure that will do strike fear into people. We do meet a host of different people involved in the film, with most of the characters adding a few extra laughs along the way.

Story – The story here follows a couple of con-artist brothers that find themselves owing a lot of money and turning to stealing the body of Charlie Chaplin to cash in on any reward, which will see more eyes turned towards them. This is a crime comedy that will show the brothers getting caught up in the middle of their latest scheme, leaving them in more trouble than they started in, showing how different people will come out of the woodwork in search of money. We get plenty of twists along the way, as the different people join the crime world appear. We will be kept guessing as to how everything ends up unfolding along the way.

Themes – Stealing Chaplin is set in Vegas, which will show us just how many different characters you will find in the city that never sleeps, adding to the comedy along the way, as well as highlighting the criminal underworld going on.

Stealing Chaplin is a fun crime comedy that shows the excellent chemistry between the cast.