Tag Archives: Karen Gillan

Drama, Fantasy, Independent Feature, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi

REVIEW: “THE LIFE OF CHUCK” (2025) NEON

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Remembering only vaguely of the book that I probably read ages ago, Director Mike Flanagan and Writer extraordinaire’ Stephen King make a deep, beautifally layered film about the value of life here with “THE LIFE OF CHUCK”. It’s the kind of film that must be seen, not so much to be told about because it expresses so much in its 1 hour and 50 minutes of run time. It’s also really hard to explain, but Flanagan does not waste a single shot in this story told essentially backwards to forwards in different Acts.

The Third Act starts us off with Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a school teacher, and starts with chronicling the crumbling world from the perspective of a small American town he lives in. The internet has been down for months and is about to go dark, along with the television and cell phone service. Meanwhile, climate change has devastated almost every country with California practically submerged itself in the Pacific, the mid-west is on fire, the rest of the World, I have no words, and the local doctor Felicia (Karen Gillan), also Marty’s ex-girlfriend, try to stay afloat. 

With all this going on around them, oddly the most frequent topic of conversation besides the latest catastrophic news, is everyone wondering about the curious billboards they’ve seen thanking a nerdy, but professionally dressed man, named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), congratulating him for his “39 ​​magnificent years.” But no one knows what he did for said 39 years. Is he a doctor? A radio host? A local TV personality? No one seems to know, but this is just one of the many questions that affect the film’s characters and, by now, undoubtable us, the audience, who are wondering how this apocalypse came about. However, “The Life of Chuck” doesn’t rush to provide linear answers, at least not at first. Instead, it features deep conversations between Felicia and Marty, who reflect not only on the state of the world, but on humanity’s very existence, now that society may be taking its last breath.

There is a narration, unfallably provided throughout the movie by the wonderful Nick Offerman, yet right from Act Three, everything seen and experienced unfolds perfectly all the way till the end, which is yes, Act One. But first, we have Act Two, where we finally meet “Chuck” and the focus immediately goes on Hiddleston and his character, but truly it’s a full team effort here and we watch as Janice (Annalise Basso), Hiddleston’s dance partner in this act, and Taylor Franck (The Pocket Queen), who is a drum busker, all combine their magnificent talent with moves from the amazing choreography of Mandy Moore & Stephanie Powell really make the dance scene sing. The Pocket Queen aka Franck, is a truly a magnificent talent in herself in her brief, but excellent role is a full standout of this Act Two and the movie as a whole. Hiddleston, while getting top billing, is really very much a smaller supporting role here in every sense of the word.

And then there is “Act One” and what an act it is. Pay attention here everyone as there is a young ‘Chuck Krantz’ here played by Benjamin Pajak that will blow you away. In fact, ALL the kids performances were just as brilliant as the adults, if not more so. Act One is beautifully done when young Chuck (Pajak), receives a very haunting monologue from his grandfather Albie Krantz (Mark Hamill), about certain choices in life. Act One really helps put the puzzle together that was Act Three, where the cosmic elements are more defined to you and it all comes together with a beautiful synergy. Act Two is the filler we needed to understand who older Chuck is and then as well, we have teenage Chuck (Jacob Tremblay), in a smaller, but poignent step in this story of ‘The Life of Chuck’.

The supporting cast brings warmth, depth, and surprise. Mia Sara, in a heartfelt return to the screen, shines as Chuck’s mother Sarah Krantz. Matthew Lillard’s brief appearance in Act One as Marty’s friend Gus, is both deeply touching. Mark Hamill lends weight and tenderness in his role as Chuck’s grandfather and is one of my three huge standouts here along with Pajak and The Pocket Queen. And again, Nick Offerman serves as the narrator, and his voice, calm, grounded, and thoughtful, beautifully anchors the film’s reflective tone.

Stephen King is right when he says The Life of Chuck is one of the good ones. The spirit and energy is felt from beginning to end, and with all on board performances giving their best, Flanagan is further establishing himself as a fine present-time director with this one as there is so much here to appreciate. As well, from the cosmic elements in ‘Act Three’ to the dancing scenes in ‘Acts Two & One,’ Flanagan did an exceptional job incorporating the sound throughout. The choreography is stunning and this film speaks to you. It just does. One thing I will say is The Life of Chuck is dedicated In Memory to Scott Wampler. And there are a few cameos in The Life of Chuck including Flanagan himself, but Scott’s inclusion just tugged me right at the heart.

As one does, I too have pondered in my life why certain moments are impactful and have helped form me into the individual I am today. It feels like utter randomness, but that’s the point isn’t it. What matters to us..what gives us substance…is what makes me well, me and us the unique people wer are. It’s the good, the bad, the meager, and the reality all of it that comes together to form our universe and reality as we know it.

So I’ll leave you with this: In a world where things are changing by the minute, not always in the positive, try to remember to still be kind to yourself and others. Hug your loved ones, forgive those you can forgive, and when or if, things don’t go as planned, accept and trust that your life was exactly as it was meant to be.That’s what my mom used to tell me, keep doing what makes you happy no matter what others say. She told me that as she was passing. I’ve never forgotten it.

“The Life of Chuck” is more than just a film, it’s a love letter to life, memory, connection, and the meaning we create in our short time here. Flanagan’s masterful direction, paired with a stellar cast and emotionally intelligent storytelling, makes this one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking films of the year.

I do highly recommend “The Life of Chuck” as it’s the film we all need right now.

Grade: A

“THE LIFE OF CHUCK” IS OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025 IN LIMITED RELEASE. WORLDWIDE RELEASE – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025

Review Screening: Thursday, May 29, 2025 ~ Courtesey of Ginsberg/Libby PR

Action, Action Adventure, CGI, Comedy, Marvel Comics, Movie Reviews, Movies, Super Hero

REVIEW: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3” (2023) DISNEY/MARVEL STUDIOS

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Good superhero movies are hard to make with the market for them as oversaturated as it is. And for me, it is a bit harder as it’s hard keep them all straight, and now along with all the different universes, you have to watch a TV show to understand them. It feels like work at times rather than just plain fun to watch a film. But “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY“ series has never felt that way for me from it’s first film to now it’s last with “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3” attempts to do the one thing that most MCU trilogies have failed at: giving all of its characters a satisfying ending. While many of the plots are similar in all these films, here in it’s last outing, they threw a bit of a wrench into it all. So it’s not going to be a spoiler to say that director James Gunn made it a Rocket Raccoon – centric story.

Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

The film finds the opening reintroducing the ensemble rebuilding their lives in a post-Thanos world, with team leader Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), in a dark place wallowing in drunken self-pity over losing girlfriend Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). Like the previous two Guardians films, it opens with a song. This time however, it’s not the usual uplifting song or classic rock song hit, but a very somber version of Radiohead’s Creep, that is set over a walking sequence of Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper), alone making his way throughout Knowhere. While the rest of the Guardians; Gamora’s step-sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), single worded vocabulary tree-creature Groot (Vin Diesel), dimwitted but loveable Drax (Dave Bautista), and empath with the antennas, Mantis (Pom Klementieff), are all turning to a more connected type group while others, not so much.

Initially, everything seems to be going okay for the Guardians, all things considered. That is until Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), son of Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), suddenly attacks Knowhere. If you remember as honestly I did not and someone had to tell me, but they had vowed revenge during one of several post-credits scenes in Volume 2. So Adam it seems, has been tasked to capture Rocket on the request of the man who tortured and made Rocket what he is today, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Rocket is injured so badly that he lapses into a coma and his Guardian friends can’t do anything to help him without the passcode required to access his heart. And herein lies the rest of the story – which to tell you would just spoil the whole film. I’m sure you can safely assume there will be fight scenes, galactic battles, jokes and possibly a bit of romance. But while there is a process to the story, the tone of it all at times also veers all over the place with scenes of true emotion to battle scenes, with the flip of a proverbial switch. One minute you’re seeing beautiful scenes of Rocket with his friends that will just truly get to you, the next minute the High Evolutionary is going a bit hammy, screaming off his rocker and it confuses the storyline at heart. There are also some really violent scenes that seem a little off-putting as some are genuinely traumatic and honestly kind of disturbing moments. There are the jokey one-liners you’re expecting as well, along with some really corny scenes. All these moments work in separately, but put together here in GOTG Vol. 3, it’s all a bit like an orchestra being led by a conductor who’s just rolled out of bed and needs his coffee I.V. before he can swing his wand correctly.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.

Needless to say it’s the animals who rule this film and along with Rocket there is a sweet one in Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova), a telepathic Soviet canine who helps the Guardians. This is truly where the emotion kicks in and some scenes are even hard to watch as cruelty towards animals, even animated ones, are a hard watch and will even get the ‘heart of stone’ people in all the right places. Sylvester Stallone also returns though blink and you might miss him, as Stakar Ogord, who leads a team of Ravagers that includes Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex and Daniela Melchior as Ura. But they are very much side characters here.

As one would expect with the film revolving around him, the MVP must be Rocket, who is one of better developed characters in GOTG franchise to be sure. His sad backstory here is the core of this movie and it was a good choice. Pratt and Saldana are fun, but without their crazy romance chemistry, it just isn’t the same. It’s hard to pinpoint anyone here truly who does better than Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket as he gives him life here. The Adam Warlock character almost felt like a waste as he’s portrayed as a really strong character at the beginning, only to disappear to the sidelines for the whole movie, momentarily popping up here and there until the end. Sadly it seemed like Poulter ‘worked out’ for nothing, as he was just background noise. As well as villian playing Iwuji, who has strong moments, but also truly cheesy ones, leaving you trying to put your finger on if he is a really good at this villian role or not. But truly when Gunn is on form – as most notably, the truly breathtaking Beastie Boys-backed fight scene and Rocket rescuing the baby raccoons, the film works well, but there are too many moments that drag, often as a result of skewering in different directions and some comedy that doesn’t quite hit. But yet again, it’s the music that saves a movie and as per usual, the soundtrack is impecable. The music by John Murphy is epic and catchy, blending orchestral with classic rock songs that fit the tone and mood of each scene. But the icing on the cake was by far the change of soundtrack towards the end with Florence and the Machine, The update of music leading away from the usual seventies & eighties rock makes a moving scene all the more so. Kudos to that.

Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova) in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

The film features plenty of action and explosions, but at times it feels like there are too many of them. The plot also has a few flaws, with some of the storylines feeling rushed or underdeveloped. However, there are also strengths with it – and yes, the surprisingly dark themes at times. Parents be warned here – this is not a movie for young children – honestly with some of the graphic scenery I would hesistate taking anyone under the age of thirteen hence the PG-13 rating. Still, sure, it was sweet.. and looked good… with cute characters…and it’s generally a success. Maybe tugs on the heartstrings a little too aggressively, but a lot of it works. I liked how they handled all the characters, besides what has been pointed out. The storyline is otherwise sound and it’s a pretty good end to what’s been a nice trilogy.

Grade: B

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Review Screening: Courtesy of Disney/Marvel Studios

“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3” FROM DISNEY PICTURES/MARVEL STUDIOS IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2023

Action, Comedy, Crime, Movie Reviews

REVIEW: “STUBER” (2019) 20TH Century Fox

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So I’m sure we’ve all heard the recent comments from Dave Bautista stating how he would never do a Fast & Furious type film noting he would “rather do good films”.   Well Dave, I’ve got a news flash for you. If “STUBER” is what you are bringing to the table instead, then you might want to re-evaluate that comment just a tad.  The past few Fast & Furious films, while by no means great, are Award material in comparison to ‘Stuber’  as at least they are so bad that they are good. And that my friends is not an easy accomplishment.   ‘Stuber’ on the other hand,  is really just brutal, absurd, unfunny, and tasteless, with very few if any, redeeming qualities.

The film centers around a highly aggressive LAPD officer Vic (Dave Bautista), looking for a brutal heroin dealer, Teijo (Iko Uwais).  However, he cannot drive to the locations that he needs to go to due to his recent Lasik surgery affecting his vision. As a result, he gets in an Uber with the mild-mannered Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) who is desperately trying to keep his star rating up, as he needs this second job because he has just invested in his secret crush’s Becca (Betty Gilpin) fitness business.  In one of the most implausable storylines ever written, he instead ends up having to keep going around with Vic to various crime scenes and assisting him no less, to stop the dealer.

Basically – Imagine every cop movie cliche: death of a partner, neglected and resentful daughter, a case that’s being “kicked up to the Feds,” a big score that’s “going down” right when the cop is supposed to be at his daughter Nicole‘s (Natalie Morales) big art show, a crooked cop, and on and on. Then add massive gunfights with plenty of heads spurting blood, a death in the first five minutes of a character meant only to give the cop another reason to be on the case. Give the cop Lasik surgery so he has to stumble around and use Uber. Add “jokes” that are as limp as cooked spaghetti and as dated as The Terminator, plus the ongoing humiliation of Nanjiani’s Uber-driving character as well as of the actor, and you have “Stuber” in a nutshell.

Given the popularity of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, I thought the idea for a buddy comedy about this could be both entertaining and timely.  Unfortunately, this was a dreadful attempt at action comedy that has some surprisingly visceral action scenes, yet fails miserably at virtually every other aspect.  The film’s plot generally consists of going from point A to point B and point C, which is fine, but the story’s narrative never manages to take any structural risks. As a comedy, “Stuber” falls pretty flat.  None of the jokes or “points” of the narrative really add up to much significance.  The more over-the-top moments in the film tend to rely on shock value just for the sake of it, unlike the better R-rated comedies that balance wit, irony, and strong writing with over-the-top content that we’ve seen this year.

Bautista’s acting is so bad that I am embarrassed for him – and while the saving grace of comedy jokes here is by far Nanjiani, he is just not strong enough to carry an entire film.  The only thing worse than Baustista’s acting was hearing so many people in the audience laughing at the violence and not at the jokes. And while Bautista has a huge fan base that I’m sure will love him in this, I can only speak for myself when noting this might be the one that changes their minds.  The film’s supporting characters are also embarrassingly written as their characterization is both paper-thin, most especially our villain Teijo who doesn’t even speak till the very end. You know my motto ‘a good villain can make or break a film’.

While the film’s surprisingly intense and violent action is generally well-choreographed, that is the only thing recommendable about this otherwise disastrous action-comedy. Even though Stu wants to earn a five-star rating in this movie, the film itself is only deserving of 1 star.

Grade: D

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Media Review Screening: Tuesday, July 2, 2019 ~ Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

“STUBER” WILL BE IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

Biography, Dark Comedy, Drama, Golden Globes, Movie Reviews, Movies, Oscar Awards

REVIEW: “THE BIG SHORT” (2015) Paramount Pictures

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the big short
When Ryan Gosling’s character Jared Vennett asks the question to a room full of brokers.. “What’s that smell?” and answers it with “Opportunity” you know then and there to prepare yourself for a very different type of ride.

The film’s narrative is driven by four cynical, fringe Wall Streeter’s disgusted with the large banking institutions’ overriding greed for profits. Separately, but yet oddly together, they make the decision to capitalize on the ensuing housing market catastrophe and the financial meltdown of 2008 upon discovering the market frenzy is being driven by worthless collateral debt obligations.
the big short 2
While I might never figure out how Director Adam McKay made deplorable humans, blinding fear, gut-wrentching outrage and delightful shaming so much fun to watch ~ He most definitely brought along his dark bag of laughs here, but planted them in such a way as to where we actually understood what was happening thanks to fun cameo explanations from the likes of Margot Robbie in a bubble bath, Anthony Bourdain cooking it right up, and even Selena Gomez gambling though her little monologue.

After a rather lengthy dizzying, yet delightful, character introduction, the film picks up pace as the drama begins to unfold. Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale), an eccentric financial analyst, with complete autonomy of an investment fund, uncovers variables in his economic forecast indicating a massive housing market collapse. He informs his higher up, Lawrence Fields (Tracy Letts), of his discovery and creates a financial prospectus. In essence, he creates a commodity of selling short on bundled mortgages.
the big short 4
The bankers laugh themselves silly as they willingly sell Burry all the “insurance” he wants. Word quickly spreads of Burry’s perceived madness in a after-work cocktail scene. With interest piqued upon overhearing the Wall Street gossip of the day, Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), scoops up the aspects of Burry’s move. Soon, he sells it to a group led by Steve Carell’s real-life character, Mark Baum and convinces them to buy in.

As the debacle is in full free-fall, Baum struggles with disbelief as he and his group have bet against their own umbrella entity, Morgan Stanley. The final team that has uncovered the impending financial crisis, made up of two Wall Street rookie wanna-be’s, Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro) who along with veteran trader turned-conspiracist Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), also struggle with the imploding financial system caused by corporate greed and indifference
the big short 1
With a mammoth cast, the acting in this movie is pristine with the whole ensemble cast being in top form. With that said however there were three stand out performances that somewhat break this mold.
Ryan Gosling might be the funniest as he narrates and embodies the fact that he’s a scum bag and just rolls with it, offering an entertainingly slick performance. Christian Bale let us feel his pain and lonely genius, stole the show in every scene he was in. The only genuinely relate able character in the lot, Bale conveys a great deal of sensitivity, making it one of his best performances to date. Steve Carell dug deep and came up with a persona that brings Baum to life, even if he does over act at times which I guess is how he really is in true-life form.
the big short 5
It was also nice to see Marisa Tomei, Hamish Linklater, Billy Magnussen, Rafe Spall, Max Greenfield and talented others working at a solid supporting level.

With all the ‘truth’ films out there this year, “The Big Short” is one of the more important ones of this group and also one of the best. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time as the film warns us in a way, who knows what will be the next basic human necessity to be denied by those few who hold power.

Grade: B+
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Review Screening: Arclight Hollywood ~ Tuesday, December 8, 2015 ~ Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
In Select Theaters: Friday, December 11, 2015
NATIONWIDE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 23, 2015