Aug 6

Aug 6 FILM REVIEW: "THE LIFE OF CHUCK" SHOULD BE SEEN THIS LIFETIME

There are rhythms in life - it's all maths - the space between the stars, the metronome of your lover’s heart. It's the tap of your mothers’ heels; it's the snore of your father's sleep. It's the blink between first glance; it’s the snare drum of the sprinklers on a warm summer’s eve. It's all maths. When you look at the night sky, quotes one character, you're seeing the greatest equation in the universe. A cosmic consequence millennium in the making. Bright sparks in a dark sky - that's what The Life of Chuck is all about.

Like constellations blooming through a forthcoming dusk, The Life of Chuck is a non-linear narrative chronicling the life of an ordinary man, Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, whose fate is inexplicably interwoven with that of the known world.

Based off a short story of the same name by horror maestro Stephen King and written and directed for the screen by modern scream-king Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), The Life of Chuck wanders a sentimental route, rarely uttered - yet often glanced - by these two horror connoisseurs. The Life of Chuck is a wonderful and heartfelt film, documenting the uniquely ordinary moments that make life worth living - and how, often enough, they supersede the extraordinary.

Chuck walks a tightrope - one misstep and it's too saccharine, one wobble and it's too morbid. It's a balancing act, and in the capable hands of Mike Flanagan, it wanders wondrously down the line. Flanagan, horror's finest sentimentalist, swaps his signature terror for a real tear jerk. It's A Wonderful Life for the microplastic generation. Wearing his heart on a well-worn sleeve, Flanagan effortlessly flows into a dramatic director.

With a palette and frame unique to each of its three acts, cinematographer Eben Bolter and production designer Steve Arnold take every opportunity to flaunt the beauty of the benign. Stars sparkle and snuff; haunted houses have never seemed so alive. The film itself is full of brilliant performances. Just a fraction of the stacked three-act cast includes: Jacob Tremblay, Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamil, Matthew Lillard, and plenty of Flannagan familiars. Standouts include Chiwetel Ejiofor as a heartbroken teacher wandering the end of the world; David Dastmalchian as a man with other priorities; Annalise Basso, who dances to the beat of spontaneity; Samantha Sloan in her first non-detestable Flangan role; Mia Sara, of Ferris Bueller fame, returning from a twenty year absence, to appear at the heart of the film; and most notably, Benjamin Park, as ten year old Charles Krantz, a remarkable young actor who will have you smiling from ear to ear.

Chuck can struggle to knot its themes succinctly and offers more questions than answers - but that is half the point. Chuck has a tendency to say more than it shows, and in certain instances, it can say a bit too much. It remains, however, so earnest and heartwarming that many of its faults, and there are a few, can be swepped aside. Each act elicits tears, laughs, joy, and an occasional sense of impending doom. These acts work independent of each other and are simultaneously strengthened by one and other.

It’s a big film with a lot of faces - literal and figurative - but it never feels overcrowded. The scope and story sometimes sits beyond the budgets capabilities, but the film does a commendable job at making theses unseen events feel personable. The first act holds a uniquely intriguing mystery, and some viewers may not be satisfied by its resolution - for those willing to dance along to Chuck’s tune, you may just find it life changing.

The Life of Chuck is a wonderful film, brimming with love and kindness. It is a celebration of the lives we live, the way in which memories can transport us, and the importance of seeing the miracle in every moment.

There are ghosts, yes, there are apocalyptic visions too - there is also a woman who loves to dance, and there is a boy who never forgets the way she taught him to move. These are the moments that matter. There is a flick of a finger. There is a tap of a spoon. There will be tears, bring tissues.

Thanks Chuck!