“The Life of Chuck,” on paper, is simple. Boring, even. It’s a story about a man and his less-than-remarkable life. He’s not an athlete, an actor or a doctor. He doesn’t go down in a blaze of glory or change the world as we know it. That, however, is what makes this film anything but boring — he’s normal. He’s like you and me. He has his people, his moments, his stories. He’s not always the main character, but he leaves an impact just the same. This film is a study of life and the people around us, pieced together through the life of Chuck.
If you’ve never heard of this film, I wouldn’t blame you. This movie began its life as a film festival submission to the Toronto International Film Festival. It would go on to win the People’s Choice Award, and this success quickly brought it to the attention of Hollywood. The film rights were acquired by NEON, an infamous indie movie distribution company. This set the stage for its official worldwide release, almost nine months after its initial showing, on June 13 of this year. After all the waiting, the marketing and the journey this project took, it flopped. Making only $13 million across the globe, “The Life of Chuck” didn’t find as many viewers as hoped. This commercial failure is a tragedy, as you’ll learn throughout this review.
“The Life of Chuck” is based on a short story by Stephen King. Notably, this is one of King’s few non-horror stories and proves his range as a writer. In the interest of not spoiling anything, this section will be very brief — this film is best experienced with as little knowledge as possible. It is told in three acts, each a different time in his life. Each part features different actors, storylines and locations, almost like separate short films. The beauty, then, lies in the connection. The symbols that run throughout the acts, the ideas that connect people and, ultimately, the story of his life are slowly but surely pieced together. Using these ideas, “The Life of Chuck” forms something much greater than its parts.
Tom Hiddleston played the title character, Chuck, and is absolutely brilliant. This is a different side of him as an actor, and is more creative than most roles we see him in. Other A-listers like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill and Karen Gillan all have great performances, but the smaller roles here work perfectly as well. This helps build the show’s biggest strength: realism. Every performance feels inspired, every scene feels lived-in and every interaction feels relatable. This isn’t to say that characters aren’t distinct or interesting, but rather that the world feels like our own. The people we meet remind us of our own past, our own journey.
“The Life of Chuck” is an indie film that I simply can’t recommend enough. It is emotionally deep, but understandable. Complex, yet relatable. This is a movie to see with loved ones and to think about the world around you. I’d give this a 4 out of 5 stars, and recommend this to most readers.
