A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
Chuck says:
Having won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck” was suddenly freighted with great expectations. A citation that is often a bellwether for Oscar glory, this adaptation of the Stephen King novel was acquired by Neon Films, who inexplicably held the movie’s release, by passing last year’s Academy Award ceremony, a curious strategy for a production with such headwinds.
Finally releases on the cusp of summer, two things become obvious. Neon got sucked in by the hype and people are desperate to embrace anything with a hopeful message.
Off-putting due to its overt intent, the movie resembles a gregarious puppy at the pound that goes out of its way to be loved. Subtlety and tact are in short supply in the way Flanagan presents this fable, going out of his way to pound home its optimistic theme again and again until the viewer either submits or winds up rolling his eyes. Oddly structured, the film isn’t a total wash as the solid cast gives compelling performances across the board while there are some genuinely inspired moments. Still, the sincerity of the movie is in flux throughout, segueing into melodrama far too often.
A story in three parts, we begin with the third act entitled, “Thanks, Chuck,” a curious declaration seen on billboards, in commercials and eventually on glowing signs in the homes of the citizens of a nameless town. However, this is far from the strangest thing that happens to them as the internet goes down on an international scale, sending the world into a panic. High school English teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) tries to take this all in stride, but a nagging feeling of impending doom slowly creeps over him. He reaches out to his ex, nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan), to find some comfort, their mutual fear bringing them together. This is exacerbated when they notice stars in the sky disappearing.
As Act Two unfolds, we’re introduced to Chuck Krantz (Tim Hiddleston), a successful accountant who harbors a great many regrets. Having been dissuaded by his practical grandfather Albie (a very good Mark Hamill) not to pursue his dream of becoming a dancer, like so many millions he lives a life of quiet despair. Yet, to be as optimistic as he is is a miracle, what with having been orphaned at nine years old when his parents were killed in an automobile accident. Act One, the film’s final section, clues us in on Chuck’s childhood – the character now played by the exceptional Benjamin Pajak – where we see his passion for dance and overcome his setbacks nurtured by his grandma Sarah (Mia Sara).
Connective threads run throughout the three chapters and it soon becomes obvious what’s afoot. The teachings of Carl Sagan, music from the Spencer Davis Group, the Gene Kelly musical “Cover Girl,” and a mysterious, locked attic door appear in each, albeit in different contexts. Most egregiously the Walt Whitman poem “Song of Myself” is cited repeatedly, young Chuck told on multiple occasions that he “contains multitudes,” a concept that’s taken to an embarrassingly obvious extreme before all is said and done.
Trying so hard to move us, Flanagan trips himself up again and again by laying on the sentiment too thickly. Yet, there are a few moments when things all come together, chief among them is a showstopping sequence that finds adult Chuck dancing on a city street with a forlorn stranger (Annalise Basso), which is charmingly echoed when young Chuck trips the light fantastic at the high school dance with his crush (Violet McGraw). There’s genuine passion in these moments, as well as clever choreography and fluid camera movement, suggesting perhaps Flanagan should give a musical a go some time in the future.
Also of note are numerous moments between Hamill and Pajak. There’s a sincere connection between the two actors that prevents them from becoming overly maudlin in their scenes. Hamill is given a role that lesser thespians would have overplayed but the veteran resists that temptation, creating a grounded yet haunted character who ultimately displays genuine poignancy.
I wish I could say the same about the rest of “Chuck.” What with the dire state of the world we live in, messages of hope are in short supply and hungrily grasped at when they do come along. Yet, Flanagan’s overreaching approach, a gapping third act (or is it first act) plot hole and the film’s woefully obvious nature prevented me from embracing it.
2 Stars
