21/46
Marvel Cinematic Universe, though none of them share a single scene together
Scenario
A life-affirming, genre-bending tale based on Stephen King’s three-chapter novella about the life of an ordinary man, Charles Kranz. Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and David Dastmalchian all appear in the film. Hiddleston is Loki and is most associated with the Thor films (2011) and the Loki TV series (2021), Gillan is Nebula and is most associated with the Guardians of the Galaxy films (2014), Ejiofor is Baron Mordo from Doctor Strange (2016) ). films, while Dastmalchian is Kurt from the first two Ant-Man films and Web in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
It’s really hard to explain, but Flanagan doesn’t miss a beat
). In conclusion, Mike Flanagan has made a deep, multi-layered, yet beautiful film about the value of life. The story is all over the film, but right from «act three,» everything seen and experienced unfolds perfectly in ‘Act One’. Ejiofor & Gillan are fantastic in the third act, but if Chuck’s Life is to be nominated, it has to be the sound.
Taylor Gordon is a talent in her own right in her short but excellent role
From the cosmic elements of the third act; to the dance scenes in ‘Act Two & One,’ Flanagan did an exceptional job of incorporating sound into everything. Of course, everyone focused on Hiddleston and his character, but Tom even mentioned that it was truly a team effort in the second act, and Annalise Basso, Hiddleston’s dance partner in the second act, and Taylor Gordon (who goes by the name of the Pocket Queen), the swashbuckler, all three paired with their choreographers Mandy Moore & Stephanie Powell really make the dance scene sing. What surprised me was how the first act was with young Chuck and no one talks about how great the kids were. Their performances were just as brilliant as the adults, if not more so, when young Chuck gets a very disturbing monologue from his grandfather (the incredible Mark Hamill) about certain life choices.
Stephen King is right when he says that Chuck’s life is one of the good ones
Act One really helps to put together the puzzle that was Act Three, where the cosmic elements can be distracting, but it all serves a purpose. You can feel the spirit and energy from beginning to end, and all the performances are at their best, and Flanagan continues to establish himself as one of the greatest directors of our time. One thing I will say is that Chuck’s life is dedicated to the memory of Scott Wampler. And in «Chuck’s Life» there are a few cameos, but Scott’s inclusion just blew me away. Great movie.