Film Review: inventor/robot duo Brian and Charles reinvent family

Shining through the dirge of the film industry's big budget desperations emerges the small, sweet story of Brian and Charles. Set in sleepy Wales, David Earl portrays Brian, a lonely inventor who builds an AI robot, Charles, from his woodshed.

The relationship between the two is both hilarious and touching to watch enfold. While the premise is quite surreal, it becomes fully grounded in the sincerity of its emotion. We watch a family grow from nothing, a message of hope and healing in a dark time. This theme is bolstered by its entirely earnest, mockumentary style of direction. It's light and easy to love, one of the funniest and most wholesome films of the year.

The concept for Brian and Charles is based off of a short film; based off of a radio show; based off of a stand-up gimmick created by David Earl. There is a great amount of freedom in the quirky script, and yes it is extremely British. The writers were able to focus on making themselves laugh instead of overthinking broad accessibility. What we get is a story that feels fresh, original, and alive.

"I loved the idea that Charles would exist forever on screen in this little story, and I love how terrible he looks," says Earl, "I mean, it’s obviously just a bloke walking about in a box. It felt cheeky and naughty making the film, like we were getting away with murder, and I still can’t believe Film4 let us make it."

One of the essential qualities in a film as earnest as the one is crafting believable characters. Charles turns this on its head - he is like nothing you've seen before. He's a washing machine in a men's shirt topped with a disproportionate mannequin head. A complete freak of nature. But in spite of his outlandish appearance, he's also adorable, and somehow totally relatable. In his infancy, he is like a child discovering the world. We then watch as he grows into an independence-seeking unit with his own ideas and dreams.

In a rare accomplishment, it's a film set to be loved by people of all ages. There's a bit of needless violence involving the film's shoe-horned antagonist Eddie, whose subplot is a bit jarring, but otherwise is as healing as the Welsh countryside itself. I'll be recommending it to fans of Swiss Army Man, Hunt for the Wildepeople, and Wes Anderson's general quirk. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon when you need a bit of hope.