Life Of Chuck Movie Review

Mike Flanagan taps into the beautiful soft side of Stephan King in short story adaptation.

In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us. Mike Flanagan delivers his most sweet heartfelt film of his career directing an amazing ensemble cast from the leads to bit players that show up for a scene in a Stephan King adaptation that channels Stand by Me, Shawshank Redemption, and Green Mile. Technically this film is beautifully shot in the cinematography and the dance chorography that ties into story seamlessly. The writing of film in how it explores how people experience grief, trauma, felling like the world is going to shit is unusual and weird but effective going backwards.

Flanagan’s direction in this film is him at his most confident in what kind of story he is telling in this film from the unusual structure of the story going from the third act to the first but it is also him baring his soul in how he views life holding onto your loved ones, loving yourself, and realizing that we are all going to die so try to live to the fullest. Flanagan’s choice of how he films the dancing scenes is so dynamic the way he moves the camera pulls you in as an audience member not just from the choreography but emotionally to what is going on for Chuck as he dances. Flanagan’s touch of how much sweetness in the film hit just right because in the hands of another director it comes off cheesy, maudlin, and a lifetime movie but he never does in my opinion he acknowledges how scared people feel, the hopelessness that feels like things will never get better but believes they will, and that life can be beautiful. The one choice he makes that does not work for me all the time in the film is the Nick Offerman voice over it feels to expository in certain parts of the film it feels like a crutch rather than being seamlessly weaved in like in Shawshank for example like when Chuck starts dancing in the street it feels so like let me just explain this to you at this moment it took away rather than add to the film.

The ensemble cast of this film is stellar top to bottom starting with Tom Hiddleston who is not in the film that much he plays the adult version of Chuck he brings a warmth combined with an everyman quality that makes you love him so even though he is not on screen that much he perinates the film throughout and his dancing skills are top notch that inform a lot about the character. Mark Hamill and Mia Sara are wonderful in the film Hamill gives an amazing monologue about the importance of math to his grandson he brings dignity, strength, heartbreaking grief about the loss of his child while not being cruel you understand and love him dearly the small amount of screentime he has and Mia Sara who hasn’t been in a movie for 14 years it was such a joy to see her especially because she gets a wonderful character to play playing Chucks grandmother who instills in him his love of dancing it’s amazing what well done character bits can do to make you fall in love with characters when she dies its devastating you feel Chucks grief with him. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillen as exes are exemptional feeling the weight of feeling like the world is ending but if it is I want to be with you I believed that journey from beginning to end along with Karl Lumley as someone who knows Ejiofor’s character who has a great conversation with him that is poignant. Matthew Lillard who doesn’t love him right gets a great monologue that he crushes then isn’t in the film again Flanagan’s ability to give actors that come in for a scene so much life is incredible like Kate Siegel who I adore and is amazing in everything I have seen her in plays one of Chucks teachers fills this character full of love, compassion, and care for her students.

Final thoughts on the Life of Chuck is I liked this movie quite a bit I have not stopped thinking about since I saw it the themes it explores, the messages about just stop for a moment and dance whatever that is for you for me it’s watching and talking about films, tv shows, and anime with fellow cine files and cherish your loved ones in your life and that no matter how crazy the world feels sometimes no matter how hopeless it feels it can and will get better that there is hope a light at the end of the tunnel affected me very deeply while I don’t agree with Flanagan that this is his best film I still love Doctor Sleep, hush and Gerald’s Game more it is a really good one that I hope you will give a chance I feel richer as a person after watching I don’t think you will regret it I will give this film a 4 out 5.