Friday Film Buff: Good Time Charlie

I'm a bit bothered by all of the Charlie Sheen coverage of late, and, while I realize that he is bringing a lot of it on himself, I wish that we weren't a society so fascinated by watching another human being self-destruct.
I hope that he works out his demons. I have always enjoyed him as an actor. He has a great under-stated quality that makes him much more than just "a poor man's Tom Cruise" as I heard someone refer to him the other day.
From the hoodlum in the police station in Ferris Bueller's Day Off to the good-natured jock in Lucas to the naif protagonist on the battlegrounds of Platoon and Wall Street, Sheen's acting style gives him a great deal of versatility as a leading man. He is adept at both drama and comedy by ascribing to the philosophy that less is more. That is why in Platoon, we can so easily observe the haunting picture of Vietnam through his eyes. It is also what made him the perfect deadpan hero in the Abrahams' spoofs of high-octane 80s action films, Hot Shots! and Hot Shots!: Part Deux.
One of my favorite lesser-known Charlie Sheen films is a family-affair film directed by and starring his father Martin and featuring his older brother Ramon in a small role. The film is Cadence (1990).

CADENCE: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen

It's a good story with strong performances, and, in my opinion, a much better way to spend an hour-and-a-half watching Charlie Sheen than anything currently being shown on TMZ.