Amazingly gorgeous to look at, The Life Of Chuck has a great cast and an interesting story to tell – it just lacks the connection you may be looking for.
When you think of Stephen King books, there are two routes that you can go down – horror and story. While some people may love everything he creates, others are fans of The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and The Green Mile over Carrie, The Shining, and The Stand. If you are in that group, this will be your kind of movie.
The Life Of Chuck is about the life of Charles “Chuck” Krantz, a local accountant, husband, and father. Told in three sections, the movie covers how he impacts the world and how the world impacts him.
Based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, this is one of those films that you don’t want to know much about before going into the theater. There are no jump scares or anything that might remind you of King’s horror genre, so don’t worry that something like that is coming.
The cinematography is stunning, with lovely shots of things like the night sky, actor’s hands, and dance sequences that make you feel like you are watching a taste of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
The actors are excellent with a cast including Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. I did a triple take when I saw Mia Sara, as I didn’t think she was acting anymore, but lives in the Ferris Bueller and Legend section of my cinema heart.
There are a lot of repetitive moments in this movie, with nods to images or words that have been said before, so look for those. They help lead you to where everything starts to make sense in the end. Which is where the three-part story structure comes in, as it is told from the end to the beginning of Chuck’s life.
I was hoping that this film would reach me emotionally, and I kept looking for it, but it didn’t. I loved the storytelling, I loved everything that I was watching, but I never felt connected to Chuck or anyone around him. Possibly Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character for a bit, but that was it. It didn’t detract from the film at all, it just left me feeling like I’d seen something nice, not something great. I didn’t think I was looking for the next TheShawshank Redemption, but maybe I was. This is different.
The Life Of Chuck is an enchanting little story with an interesting story structure and a great cast. Don’t look up what it’s about, just go in blind and watch it. There are some beautiful visuals and fun dance sequences. Just enjoy it for what it is.
Runtime: 110 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Currently in theaters and soon to be available on Amazon Prime
When you think of Stephen King books, there are two routes that you can go down – horror and story. While some people may love everything he creates, others are fans of The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and The Green Mile over Carrie, The Shining, and The Stand. If you are in that group, this will be your kind of movie.
