You ever read a story or see a play or movie that has a profound impact on you… but only because you had no idea of where things were going?
And you want to share that experience with someone. You want them to feel the things you felt in the way you did.
There’s just one problem.
How do you convince them to see it without spoiling it? If they’re the sort who bail on movies that don’t grab them right away, how do you convince them ahead of time to stick with it if they feel like tapping out after half an hour? How do you convey Just Trust Me in a way that will stick?
Such is the problem with The Life of Chuck, which is a great little film you should watch tonight with someone, only I won’t tell you a damn thing about it other than Just Trust Me.
Without spoiling anything, this appealed to me because of the masterful storytelling involved. Both on King’s part for the original story, and Mike Flanagan’s as both director and the writer of the screenplay. The layers and structure involved are wonderfully handled, and how the viewer comes to understand what’s happening is honed like a knife.
I know this because I rewatched it with a couple of friends in my Epic Budget Home Theatre setup and the reactions they had as they watched it were exactly the same as mine, at all the same points.
I’m pretty story savvy. I have to be. I can often predict how a show or movie will end because I recognize the structure they use. So I’m not easily surprised. Yet I was constantly surprised by this story, and even when I wasn’t, I was in awe of how it was handled.
If you watch the trailer, you probably won’t get any spoilers, but the movie might come across as some shmaltzy touchy-feely bit of Oscar bait.
It’s not.
Don’t get me wrong, I hope it wins a bunch of Oscars, but it’s also not the kind of movie you think it is.
So, if you see it, and you feel about it the way I do, be sure to encourage others to see it. I wish you luck trying to do so without spoiling it.
All I can say is, Just Trust Me, and hope that you do.
Liked the movie alot. I bit different from the short story but well done. Excellent acting