La vie de Chuck

I so very much enjoy Tom Hiddleston in films. Karen Gillan is also a treat to watch in selected films. The rest of the cast is worth more than an honorable mention alone, as many familiar faces grace the screen (especially toward the beginning of the film). Lastly, I tend to love this 'type' of movie. I can't give too much away without using a spoiler tag, but if you watch the interview(s) with the cast featured here on IMDB, you'll know what "type" I am referring to. I wonder if I can get away with 'apocalyptic', since that is a word straight from one of these interviews.

That said ... it was a bit of a letdown for me.

The beginning was slow, but it was good. It built an expectancy toward so much more and a feeling that it was going to get so much better. Sadly, that was never fully realized or delivered.

Beginning in the second act, the film definitely starts to bog down and suffers from side or follow-up scenes that are just way too long and a bit far-fetched. The narration, too, is used far too often to the point of it just about verging on annoying.

By the third act, when they begin to introduce what is supposed to be the point of the entire thing, it has already been too bogged down by too much of not enough - if that makes sense. While the child actor is adorable and does so well, here too the movie just drags.

Moreover, everything is so overly-EXPLAINED. It's kind of like Flanagan did not trust the audience to understand what was happening, so either the narrator or characters went to great lengths to explain every detail. Well, while some may disagree, I believe audiences are more intelligent than this film gives them (us) credit for.

Sorry Mike Flanagan fans, but this is the third time I have been let down by one of his offerings. :(

Summed up, Mike Flanagan made a deep, multilayered yet beautiful film about the value of life. It's really hard to explain but Flanagan does not waste a single shot. There is a narration throughout the movie, yet right from 'Act Three,' everything seen and experienced unfolds perfectly in 'Act One.' Ejiofor & Gillan are fantastic in Act Three but if The Life of Chuck is to be nominated for anything, it has to be the sound. From the cosmic elements in 'Act Three' to the dancing scenes in 'Acts Two & One,' Flanagan did an exceptional job incorporating the sound throughout.

Of course, everyone was focusing on Hiddleston and his character, but Tom even mentioned it was really a team effort in Act Two and Annalise Basso, Hiddleston's dance partner in Act Two, and Taylor Gordon (who is in the credits as The Pocket Queen), the busker, all three combined with their choreographers Mandy Moore & Stephanie Powell really make the dance scene sing. Taylor Gordon is a talent in herself in her brief, but excellent role.

What surprised me was how Act One was with young Chuck and no one talks about how excellent the kids were. Their performances were just as brilliant as the adults, if not more so when young Chuck receives a very haunting monologue from his grandfather (an unbelievable Mark Hamill) about certain choices in life. Act One really helps put the puzzle together that was Act Three, where the cosmic elements can be off-putting, but it all serves a purpose. Stephen King is right when he says The Life of Chuck is one of the good ones. The spirit and energy is felt from beginning to end, and with all on board performances giving their best, Flanagan is further establishing himself as one of contemporary's greater directors.

One thing I will say is The Life of Chuck is dedicated In Memory to Scott Wampler. And there are a few cameos in The Life of Chuck but Scott's inclusion just tugged me right at the heart. Great film.

"Would answers make a good thing better?"

The Life of Chuck is bold and full of ideas about life, death, and what our place in the universe really means. It opens in act three, when the world is collapsing; earthquakes, floods, eruptions, the land itself vanishing. In the middle of all this destruction, signs keep appearing that say: "Charles Krantz. 39 Great Years. Thanks Chuck." His face is everywhere, but no one knows who he is. Not even us.

By the time we finally meet Chuck, in act two, it becomes clear that the story isn't about cosmic destruction or mysteries that need solving. It's about the small moments that shape a life and how, in their own way, they're just as vast as the universe, "I cointain multitudes". The dancing scene here is unforgettable, probably the most impactful part of the film. The music, the movement, the joy in something so simple, it's the kind of scene that reminds you why you go to the movies.

Act one takes us back further, to Chuck's childhood, to the grief and hardship that shaped him, and how dance became a way to carry all that pain. My favorite scene is when Chiwetel Ejiofor (as Marty), on the phone with his estranged wife, shares a Carl Sagan story about how little we really know about anything.

Flanagan isn't interested in spelling everything out. Some things like life, death, love and grief are richer in mystery than in explanation. Chuck's story reminds us that even lives that seem small carry meaning and wonder.

I had the pleasure of attending Regal's Mystery Movie Monday and was absolutely delighted to preview The Life of Chuck. Directed by Mike Flanagan and adapted from Stephen King's novella, this film is a deeply moving exploration of life's fleeting moments and the quiet, powerful ways one person can leave a mark on the world.

Tom Hiddleston gives a captivating performance as Charles "Chuck" Krantz, portraying his life in reverse, from death back to childhood. Jacob Tremblay and Benjamin Pajak, who portray Chuck at younger ages, deliver equally sincere and affecting performances, each capturing the spirit and complexity of the character at various stages of his life. The film's unconventional structure may initially challenge viewers, but by the end, it offers a resonant, emotionally rich experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

The supporting cast brings warmth, depth, and surprise. Mia Sara, in a heartfelt return to the screen, shines as Chuck's mother. Matthew Lillard's brief appearance is both deeply touching and meomorable (my one complaint is that he did not return later in the movie), and Mark Hamill lends weight and tenderness in his role as Chuck's grandfather. Nick Offerman serves as the narrator, and his voice, calm, grounded, and thoughtful, beautifully anchors the film's reflective tone.

As a teacher, I was especially moved by the portrayal of educators. Characters like Miss Richards (Kate Siegel), Miss Rohrbacher (Samantha Sloyan), and the beautifully portrayed role by Chiwetel Ejiofor, all embody the kind of teachers we aspire to be, compassionate, inspiring, and transformative. Their presence in Chuck's life is a testament to the quiet heroism of educators.

And I have to say it, Rahul Kohli is a joy to watch in everything he does. His presence is always a highlight.

The Life of Chuck is more than just a film, it's a love letter to life, memory, connection, and the meaning we create in our short time here. Flanagan's masterful direction, paired with a stellar cast and emotionally intelligent storytelling, makes this one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking films of the year.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone ready to be moved, and reminded of what truly matters.

There is a concept here about the truth: we live, and then we die, and because I know it's a movie based on a story by Stevn King it has me asking the question: which am I more afrriad of?

I know the ambiguous trailer did not seem like anything you would expect from a Steven King movie, but what I got is exactly why this dude is The Master of Horror.

Maybe I am reading too much into a film, possibly influenced far greater by Mike Flanagan's filmmaking, yet the emotion I felt for this movie was deep.

That's the brilliance of this movie, I felt something at the end, and it made me think, and it was beautiful for that.

It's everything I expected from a movie/