Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is a rich kid who finds himself in his local comprehensive after being expelled from a list of private schools.
When he decides to appoint himself psychiatrist for his fellow students (including the responsibility of issuing the relevant pharmaceutical relief) he soon finds himself a seasoned problem solver.
But with Principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr) keeping an eye on him after he becomes involved with his daughter, Charlie begins to find he has enough problems of his own without everyone else asking for guidance.

Lying somewhere between Juno, The Rules of Attraction and The Breakfast Club, Charlie Bartlett is an absorbing case study of fitting in, and the frustrations when you don't.

Gustin Nash's poignant script is riddled with generation-crossing questions, but stirred in with enough eccentricities and colourful characters to make even the most terrifying personal insecurities palatable.

Although the film is Jon Poll's directorial debut, his extensive Hollywood career as an editor is possibly the reason for its concise and snappy execution.
At a tidy 97 minutes, nothing feels like it is been missed out, or indeed overly done.
Instead it is beautifully contained with a steady pace throughout.

But despite the witty script, and varied use of montage and cuts to keep visual interest, it is the cast who give the film the watchability factor.

An impressive line-up including Hope Davies as Charlie's wealthy but ditzy mother and Robert Downey Jr riding high on his current wave of hits offer the support needed.

But it is the up and coming Anton Yelchin who really impresses.
Ably presenting charming, vulnerable, confident and insecure when the occasion demands it, his performance is a pleasant surprise.

Never crossing the line into full-on, quirky cultdom like Napoleon Dynamite, the film remains more open allowing a far wider audience.

Charlie Bartlett's social commentary on dissatisfied teenage angst colliding against a culture of self-medication may not be particularly original, but a stella cast and snappy narrative make it a thoroughly entertaining gem of a film and a satisfying break from the action blockbusters set for summer.

8/10 – Too cool for school.