The Life of Chuck

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Life of Chuck is an adaptation of a Stephen King short story of the same name. In this film, we see a world that is fast coming to an end, with the only consistent thread being an ad thanking Charles Krantz. As the movie draws us into Chuck's life, we come to understand the world carried within the single life of an individual.

I was entirely blown away by this feature; it imparts a theme that struck a chord with me. The film opens in a sort of end-of-days setting; the entire world, the very universe, is coming to an end. Within these end of days, we get a macabre look at what things we rely on that we lose, a neat criticism upon our technological dependencies that weirdly doesn't feel like it's punching down. At the same time, it's a look at human connection and a push on how we face disaster and loss. The way people in this film face such tremendous despair with such raw emotion shared with others, while still remaining joyful or even hopeful, is staggering. It's a very beautiful framework for the world, for how humanity can be innately. Yet within this incredible tableau is an oddity: Charles 'Chuck' Krantz. Advertisements for a man are everywhere; no one knows him, but the audience has the extended privilege of learning all about him. Chuck is a remarkably ordinary individual; it's the point that he feels so recognisable. This is a man who will endure and has endured something terrible, but the film isn't about the end or even really hardship. This film about Chuck manages to capture the feeling of dreams never pursued, what it can be to want to dance or perform art, but give your life to something safer. This is a film about facing death, recovering from the death of others and even accepting that death walks the journey of life. But overall, this is a film that tells you to look at yourself and recognise the vastness of all the experiences you have captured and carried with you. It's a beautiful thing to carry so much as an individual, and this film celebrates this perspective brilliantly.

I really found this quite a gorgeous film to watch, especially in those intimate moments of dialogue scattered throughout. How conversations were held is very well staged here to make each interaction rather dynamic. Yet, I also found this film had a nice colour palette that ranged across different moments in the film. Even simple special effects, such as the stars winking out, hit with intentional impact. I found the score extremely moving and poignant. This was a film where a sense of music gliding us along was really required. The soundtrack is also perfect for grounding us in the setting, and the final track 'The Parting Glass' by Gregory Alan Isakov, makes this whole film come together like poetry.

Tom Hiddleston, who played Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, was remarkable as the title character; Hiddleston is effortlessly charming, and his dance number is a highlight of the film. Karen Gillan, who played Felicia Gordon, was a figure who seemed like she was being drained of resolve; Gillan's connection to Ejiofor when she is seeking hope is such a beautiful scene. Mia Sara, who played Sarah Krantz, was wonderful as Chuck's kindly grandmother; Sara is the bright spark in the film that livens scenes she is in. Carl Lumbly, who played Sam Yarborough, is such an earnest figure holding remarkable wisdom; Lumbly lends a good deal of weight to his lines, which lets you sit and reflect upon them. Mark Hamill, who played Albie Krantz, is a tragic figure and a great mentor figure simultaneously; Hamill is placed as a storyteller and a man deeply troubled by his life experiences here. David Dastmalchian, who played Josh, is one of those early character conversations around the world ending; the scene shared between him and Ejiofor about Pornhub is one of those really iconic moments in the feature. Matthew Lillard, who played Gus, comes in to his scene entirely shellshocked but with a massive story to tell; Lillard takes us through this beautiful and powerful monologue that stole the show completely. Rahul Kohli, who played Bri, is a spot of comedic relief that lands well in the chaotic opening act; he really bounces dialogue off Gillan neatly. Annalise Basso, who played Janice Halliday, really captures the comedy elements of a recent break-up initially very well; I loved seeing her spark with life as she connected with Hiddleston's performance. Samantha Sloyan, who played Miss Rohrbacher, really comes in as this bold and confident force; I liked how Sloyan commanded the screen without trying to push into the limelight. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who played Cat McCoy, was quite a fun role; Bliss is entirely likable, and the way she livens scenes is a delight. Nick Offerman, who voiced The Narrator, brings some entirely hilarious delivery to this piece; Offerman contains such range that he could easily switch across the feature.

However, the best performance came from Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Marty Anderson. This is our leading performance for the first act of the film, and it stays with me long after I left the theatre. Ejiofor gets to be our eyes for the end of the world, a school teacher with a penchant for science who watches the parents of his students crumble into hopeless cases before his eyes at parent-teacher interviews. Ejiofor is very grounded in this; he seems so easy to connect with and extraordinarily kind. He feels the weight of the end of the world as much as everyone else, yet he is still capable of delivering a beautiful, hopeful monologue about the life of the universe when folded into an Earth calendar year. His chemistry with Gillan is palpable; there's some distance there, but also this unspoken thing of wanting to fold into one another's arms. I loved Ejiofor leading us into this beautiful journey. What an introduction, what a guide.

The Life of Chuck is really hemmed in by the non-linear abstract elements it uses to frame the narrative. How the story opts to jump around can be quite muddling; the film as a whole can really be driving home a point while also losing focus on its main task. The film is called The Life of Chuck, but I struggled to access Chuck for the first half of the film, which is a very unique problem given how good the film is. I would have liked to connect with Chuck as a character a lot more than in the time he was a child.

The editing for this film can set a strange pace at times; the most common problem would probably be a shot lingering on for too long before actively cutting away.

Jacob Tremblay, who played Teen Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, doesn't really have much time to give this film anything of note; Tremblay holds the space to serve the character, but provides no real substance to the central character. Benjamin Pajak, who played Young Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, is quite awkward and gawky to watch; Pajak's performance shows a range that is still developing, but not enough to hold such a prominent position in the film. Q'orianka Kilcher, who played Virginia 'Ginny' Krantz, is glossed over so much in this that you don't really feel the emotional weight of her character; Kilcher and Hiddleston have no chemistry as a husband and wife duo. Violet McGraw, who played Iris, is another young performer who doesn't quite hit the mark; McGraw's character felt odd, and I didn't enjoy the scene she shared with Ejiofor. The Pocket Queen, who played Taylor Franck, is perhaps not so confident within the acting scene as she is doing a musical performance on the drums; this is a role that feels like she is here for the drum performance and less to contribute to the film as a character. Kate Siegel, who played Miss Richards, felt a bit thin in her struggling teacher role; Siegel delivered some poetry, but there was little impact in her words or performance. 

In times like these, I think I needed a little story like this one about Charles Krantz; thanks, Chuck. I would give The Life of Chuck an 8.5/10.