What first brought attention to the film “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III” was Charlie Sheen’s name being attached to it. After hearing that Bill Murray, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, and some other well known names were involved, the film started to transcend from the “train-wreck” type of attention to gaining some actual credibility.
We first learned of it as a directorial effort from Roman Coppola, brother of Sofia and son of Francis Ford, who made his first feature CQ over a decade ago. It got even more fascinating when Coppola cast the self-destructive Charlie Sheen as the titular Charles, a graphic designer whose life falls apart when his girlfriend dumped him. When Bill Murray, Coppola cousin Jason Schwartzman, Parks & Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza, Patricia Arquette and more joined the cast, it was pretty much icing on the cake– this movie sounded way too strange to possibly pass up.
While Charlie Sheen may bring about the curiosity factor, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Aubrey Plaza are what makes this film interesting to me. I have enjoyed most of everything they’ve been attached to and I feel that they are very selective with their roles. Murray tends to follow many passion projects with an indie vibe while Schwartzman follows the same. Plaza is starting to emerge as a more prominent indie star after the critically acclaimed film, “Safety Not Guaranteed,” and is proving herself as an actress. Given that the Director, Roman Coppola, is the brother of Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation), this could also be a favor that Murray is doing for Sofia. Even if it is a favor, the cast speaks for the film and this is one I will keep an eye on.
