The Life Of Chuck: Movie Review

Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, Carl Lumbly, Mia Sara, Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak
Director: Mike Flanagan

Based on a Stephen King short story and an intriguing mix of the melancholy and the joyous, Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck is a film that's in love with language - and is all the better for it.

From visual language to musical language via wordplay from the dryly laconic tones of Nick Offerman as the narrator, this non-linear film is a joy from beginning to somewhat abrupt end.

Divided into three parts and best served without any idea of what's ahead, the movie serves as a reminder to find joy in connection and take moments where they come.

It begins with the world facing a range of catastrophes of unknown origin. From the utterly disastrous events such as earthquakes taking out regions to the banal worldwide loss of the internet, the opening moments deliver a mix of atmospheric menace and mystery, all anchored by the gently warm performances of Ejiofor as a teacher and Gillan as a nurse.

How it all ties in to Tom Hiddleston's Chuck Krantz is best experienced cold, but suffice to say the story's deliberate pace and slow unpeeling serves it well.

Yet it's also the actors in this that elevate a very human story. From Hiddleston's energetic dance moves to Hamill's gruffly hunched performance as a near-broken man to a young Pajak and Flanagan's turn in a joy-filled dance medley, via Matthew Lillard's scene- stealing performance as a neighbour, every carefully crafted moment and actor more than delivers in surprisingly affecting ways.

Perhaps the only minor disappointment is the somewhat tritely conceived and brusque ending that stymied the emotional power with its central message, but overall, The Life Of Chuck is a cinematic joy to behold, a vibrant, breathing reminder of what going to the movies should be - and what elevated effective storytelling can deliver when it's at its very best.