The Real Charlie Chaplin12A

Directed by Peter Middleton & James Spinney | USA | 2021 | 1h 54m | Starring Pearl Mackie, Jeff Rawle, Paul Ryan, Dominic Marsh

Combining unheard audio recordings, dramatic reconstructions, and personal archives, this documentary traces Charlie Chaplin’s rise from the slums of Victorian London to the heights of Hollywood superstardom. A fascinating look at the life of one of cinema’s greatest icons from the filmmakers behind the BAFTA-nominated 2016 documentary Notes On Blindness.

Reviews

‘A representative picture of Chaplin’s life and career does emerge, bolstered by plenty of wonderful clips which are allowed to speak – or more often not speak – for themselves.’
★★★★
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

‘This snappy and searching doc makes a very solid fist of finding the man behind the Little Tramp.’
★★★★
Philip De Semlyen, Time Out

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Real Charlie Chaplin between March 14, 2022 and March 24, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Sunday 26th April)

14:00

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2h 41m | Polish w/ English subtitles
A young filmmaker uncovers the hidden truth behind a worker’s heroic story, challenging censorship, ideology, and moral responsibility in this landmark Polish film. Part of Kinoteka On Tour – Polish Film Festival.

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17:30

The Magic Faraway Tree U
1h 50m
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20:00

The Drama 15
1h 45m
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Tomorrow (Monday 27th April)

20:45

Heathers 15
1h 43m
Cinema Under the Stairs presents a one-off screening of Michael Lehmann’s cult-classic film, a landmark of modern American cinema that darkly reimagines the teen comedy genre. Featuring standout, career-defining performances from Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!