“The 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.
“The 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 “The 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 flavor of sentimentality might not be for everyone. This critic felt a bit like the film was trying to trick you into caring about Chuck, while revealing very little about the man he became and explaining too much about the mystery. And yet it’s a nice message, with nice performances and might be that kind of affirming hug of a film that someone is craving.
“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.”
Film reviews can also contain multitudes.
“The Life of Chuck,” a Neon release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language. Running time: 110 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
