The Life of Chuck (film): Finally, something worth watching

Today it seems that we are in a bit of a duldrums as far as movies are concerned because the industry has figured out what makes the most money and unfortunately for those of us hoping for something new and inventive every now and then, that formula that makes money is anything but inventive. It is formulaic and there is very little difference from one film to the next.

When the big studios can make hundreds of millions of dollars by pushing out absolute garbage with yet another super-hero film that differs very little from the last one or just plug The Rock or Jason Statham into a slightly re-worked version of every other film they have ever made (and then make $40 million guaranteed in the process) why would the, as a business ever stray from this?

What we end up with is movies that have become boring..... but, every now and then something different comes along that is so inventive that it deserves all the praise it gets and then some more. The Life of Chuck is exactly that.

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now I am going to be intentionally vague when I talk about this film because the best part of this film is that it doesn't go in the normal start-to-finish sequence and unless you read too much about it before watching it, you will not have any idea about what is going on.... but once you do figure it out it all comes together in a wonderful crescendo that is oh so rare in films these days.

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In the first act, which is on-screen entitles Act 3, we aren't told much about anything that is going on, other than the fact that the world is coming to an end and all of a sudden everyone in the city that we are privy to is thanking this unknown person named Chuck. The signs are popping up everywhere and even as technology starts to stop working, staring with the internet, everywhere and everything is all about Chuck. If you, the viewer, are watching this and thinking "who is Chuck? it has to to Tom Hiddleston since he is top billed, right?"

And well, that is the way that everyone in the story feels as well. You'll probably notice right away that the voice that is filling in the blanks of the story is Nick Offerman as well but other than that, you will spend most of act 1(3) being confused but still, very entertained. The mystery surrounding what is going on in the world is not really told to you, and this is intentional just like the way that I am being intentionally vague right now.

But the story moves on and just like you would expect, the pieces slowly start to come together as you learn more and more about what is actually going on here.

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When we do finally meet Chuck, he doesn't actually do a lot of talking but Tom Hiddleston gets to showcase other skills that I don't think many people were aware he had.

This part of the story is Act 2 and it is still very vague but at times, it connects to the first act that we just saw and you, the viewer start to put the pieces together but still, we don't have a whole story yet. It isn't until act 3 (or act 1 as they say it in the film) that we start to see the entire picture and when you do, and it all makes sense in your head, this is where the movie sits on a list of absolutely fantastic story-telling the likes of which we don't often see anymore.

It is unfortunate that something like this, which I consider to be exceptionally good, inventive, and just a fantastic story, only ends up pulling in under $12 million at the box office. But some box-office trash bullshit like the latest Fantastic 4 film thinks it is a failed weekend when they ONLY pull down $60 million.

I guess it is a reflection of the times that we live in or perhaps, my involvement in it and how I do not like what mass entertainment has become. Maybe it's actually me that is refusing to keep up with the times and embrace what the world simply is. It makes me sad if I try to think about it too much and in this film, you will actually see some reflections of exactly what I am talking about.

Should I watch it?

That trailer is also one of the best trailers I have ever seen and they do a wonderful job of telling you absolutely nothing about the movie. Good job!

I don't know if I agree with the sentiment that Collider put in there about this being the "Best Stephen King film ever made" but it certainly is up there. This movie is one of the most profound movies I have ever seen not just in the overall story, but in the way that it is presented. You simply cannot predict where it is going (well, unless you read the book) and when it does all fall into place finally, you are left with this wonderful feeling about everything that you just witnessed.

These are the movies that should be making $100 million or more at the cinemas but unfortunately these films, which I consider excellent, mostly go by unnoticed. It was in and out of theaters in 2 weeks. It was released on June 13th in a few theaters and well, that was it... in and out.... The only saving grace in my mind would be if this film was never meant for cinemas and was instead directed towards paid streaming, which whether you like it or not, is probably the future of "cinematic releases."

Get out there and see this one. I promise you will not regret it

_{You cannot yet legally stream this for free on any platform but it is available to rent or purchase on Prime, Apple, Fandango, and others}