Tom Hiddleston leads the cosmic puzzle that is ‘Life of Chuck'
'Life of Chuck' is a peculiar movie with grandiose ambitions. It teases out a cosmic mystery about life and some guy named Charles Krantz ( Tom Hiddleston ) in a story told in reverse chronological order that gets smaller and smaller with each act. This is a story that begins with the apocalypse and ends with a middle school dance. Well, kind of. I'm not out to spoil (much) here.
It's based on a novella by Stephen King (part of his 'If It Bleeds' collection of stories) and adapted by filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who was also behind 'Gerald's Game' and 'Doctor Sleep.'
This, however, is not a horror movie, though there are spooky elements laden with ominous ambiguity. There are also big, joyful dance numbers, a fair share of cynical jokes, whimsical narration from Nick Offerman, earnest conversations about the end of the world and plenty of references to Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' — in particularly 'I am large, I contain multitudes.'
That is most movingly conveyed in a sweet scene with a teacher (Kate Siegel) and a middle school aged Chuck ( Benjamin Pajak ) on the last day of school.
'Life of Chuck' wants to make you think, feel, laugh and cry about the most mundane of characters: Krantz, a white, American, middle-aged accountant, whose life is modest and whose childhood was full of tragedy and loss. And while I certainly enjoyed elements of this odyssey in reverse, I was ultimately left feeling very little — especially about Chuck and the questionable end-of-film explanation that ties it all together.
Hiddleston, it should be said, is not in 'Life of Chuck' as much as one might expect for being the titular character. His presence looms large certainly — it's why we're here. But, in reality, Hiddleston as a performer is more of an ensemble player among a sea of recognizable faces. In the third act, which opens the film, he's everywhere - on billboards and television ads, cheerily smiling in a nondescript grey suit, coffee cup in one hand, pencil in another. 'Charles Krantz. 39 great years! Thanks Chuck!' the signs read.
It's the background until it's all that's left as the world appears to be ending. The internet has gone out. Parts of California have drifted into the Pacific. Environmental disasters rage. Suicides are skyrocketing. Hail Mary life decisions are being made. And poor Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is just trying to do his job as a school teacher. His parent-teacher conferences have become parent therapy sessions. Everyone — a maintenance guy (Matthew Lillard), a funeral director (Carl Lumbly) — seems to want to philosophize about what's going on, and who the heck Chuck is. He has big conversations about the history of the universe with his ex-wife (Karen Gillan). And together they wait for the end. In act two, a grown Chuck (Hiddleston) dances in the street in a joyful six-minute sequence. Compelled to move when he hears the beat of a street drummer (Taylor Gordon), he even pulls in a stranger to join him (Annalise Basso). In act one, he's a kid ( Pajak ) who has lost both his parents and unborn sister in a car accident and is living with his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara, who it's nice to have back on screen). It's during this segment, which comprises nearly half the movie, that he learns to dance. First, it's through his grandmother freestyling to Wang Chung and curating a movie musical marathon (including 'Singin' in the Rain,' 'Cabaret, 'Cover Girl' and 'All That Jazz').
Then it's at school, where little Chuck learns the perks of being a straight man who can dance. There's also a possibly haunted cupola on the top floor of their house that's causing grandpa lots of anxiety. This is a film with a big heart that has already made a significant impact on some moviegoers. Last fall it won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival, an honor which has produced many best picture nominees and winners. And it's one where a second viewing might be rewarding, so you can more appreciate the thoughtful throughlines and the piece as a whole since you know what it's building toward. But I also suspect this particular flavour of sentimentality might not be for everyone.
Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Galal Yafai vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks, start time for WBC interim title fight
Galal Yafai vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. goes down Saturday for the interim WBC super flyweight title in Birmingham, England. Uncrowned has Galal Yafai vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Yafai vs. Rodriguez Jr. fight card on Saturday afternoon at the BP Pulse Live Arena in Birmingham, England. In the night's main event, Britain's Yafai defends his WBC interim flyweight title against Mexico's Rodriguez Jr. Yafai (9-0, 7 KOs), a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, captured the WBC interim title with a one-sided beatdown that ended with a sixth-round TKO win over Sunny Edwards this past November. Advertisement Rodriguez Jr. (39-6-1, 27 KOs) held the unified strawweight championship in 2014. He has also previously challenged for light flyweight and super flyweight world titles. The winner of Yafai vs. Rodriguez Jr. will be the mandatory challenger to unified flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji. Also on the card, Conah Walker (15-3-1, 6 KOs) defends his British welterweight title against Liam Taylor (28-2-1, 14 KOs), and Peter McGrail (11-1, 6 KOs) faces the battle-hardened Ionut Baluta (17-5-1, 3 KOs). The Yafai vs. Rodríguez Jr. prelims begin at 11:30 a.m. ET and can be watched live on Uncrowned below. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET on DAZN, with main event ring walks expected at around 5 p.m. ET. Advertisement Follow all of the action with Uncrowned's live results and play-by-play of the main card below. Main Card (2 p.m. ET, DAZN) WBC interim flyweight title: Galal Yafai vs. Francisco Rodriguez Welterweight: Conah Walker vs. Liam Taylor Super bantamweight: Peter McGrail vs. Ionut Baluta Cruiserweight: Pat Brown vs. Ivan Duka Super bantamweight: Tiah Ayton vs. Sara Orszagi Prelims (11:30 a.m. ET, Watch via Uncrowned) Middleweight: Aaron Bowen vs. Mykola Vovk Super featherweight: Giorgio Visioli vs. Elias Federico Duguet Super featherweight: Ibraheem Sulaimaan vs. Brian Phillips Flyweight: Hamza Uddin vs. Leandro Jose Blanc
News18
6 minutes ago
- News18
Georgia Andriani serving cool breeze energy! News18
NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18 NEWS18
Mint
6 minutes ago
- Mint
Influencer dies after getting ‘milk injection': Seasoned cosmetic doctor now accused of medical negligence
Cai Yuxin, a popular Taiwanese car show model, has died after receiving a 'milk injection'. It's a nickname for the anaesthetic propofol to treat her long-standing insomnia. The influencer, in her 30s, had over 32,000 followers on Facebook and was often praised for her beauty. She was often compared to actress Lin Chi-ling, known for Red Cliff (2008). On May 25, Cai visited the Fairy Clinic in Taipei for sleep therapy. One of her friends advised her to go there. The injection was given by Wu Shaohu, a well-known cosmetic doctor called Taiwan's 'Godfather of Liposuction', according to the South China Morning Post. Shockingly, Wu left after the procedure, leaving Cai in the care of an unqualified male assistant. Reports say the drip rate increased due to a mistake, causing a larger dose to be given quickly. Cai suffered a heart and breathing failure. Wu rushed back. By then, Cai's heart had stopped. She was taken to the hospital and kept on life support for 18 days. Her family ended it on June 12. Authorities are now investigating Wu for negligence and breaking medical rules. In Taiwan, propofol is a controlled drug that must be given only by qualified professionals. Experts say using it without proper care is dangerous and against medical ethics. 'Similar incidents occur every year. It's truly deplorable. Medical personnel providing such services without proper airway management training are placing patients' lives in serious jeopardy,' SCMP quoted anaesthesiologist Lai Xianyong as saying. Celebrity deaths due to medical negligence are not new. In fact, one such incident happened with pop icon Michael Jackson, who had also been suffering from insomnia. In 2011, MJ died after being given a strong mix of drugs by his personal doctor, Dr Conrad Murray. The 50-year-old legend had been struggling with sleeplessness and was depending on medications during his final days. A jury found Dr Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter. According to them, the doctor acted carelessly and caused Jackson's death. The trial included 50 witnesses and lasted 22 days.
