Chuck is a biopic about Chuck Wepner, a boxer who fought Muhammad Ali immediately after the famous fight between Ali and George Foreman, which is chronicled in the documentary, When We Were Kings. This fight allegedly inspired Sylvester Stallone to write Rocky. I saw the preview for this movie and was immediately interested, but I was originally hoping to make it a double feature with The Brawler,another biopic about Wepner starring Zach McGowan, who is best known for his roles in The 100 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but after the movie’s availability for home viewing was postponed indefinitely on Netflix DVD, I decided to not wait to see Chuck.
The Brawler probably would have suffered in comparison. Chuck is one of those movies filled with a cast of amazing actors. If I was an actor, I would have been willing to do anything to work on that set. They looked like they were having a great time, but it was probably a lot of hard work to make it look so effortless. It is actually puzzling how it got released with little fanfare or accolades considering the cast and subject matter. I really don’t understand how this movie hit theaters, and no one noticed. Is it because the title Chuck evokes the name of a NBC comedy action series? Life isn’t fair.
How good is Chuck’s cast? Liev Schreiber plays the titular character. Elisabeth Moss plays his wife, Phyliss, and she is a beast. Naomi Watts is unrecognizable as a potential love interest because of chemistry, but isn’t a fool. Ron Perlman plays his coach. Jim Gaffigan, whom I normally would not think of as anything other than a comedian, is perfect as Chuck’s best friend, John. Even Michael Rapaport, who gets on my damn nerves for essentially playing himself in every role that he is cast in, actually gets cast against type and is Chuck’s subdued brother, who gets referenced so much throughout the film that when he actually appears, I was breathless with anticipation and somewhat disappointed when I saw Rapaport was playing the role, but then I was actually impressed with his performance, and I was a tough sell.
If Chuck did not get a lot of traffic based on word of mouth, it may be because the story is depressing, but hey, life is depressing, and it ends on an upbeat. They show the real life man at the end of the film. Schreiber is the narrator and the star, and even though it started with a trope that I despise, how we got here, by starting with a scene that comes later in the movie, it felt like a shout out to Goodfellas, and I’ll allow it because Chuck is a movie lover. I rationalized that even if he was telling his life story, he would be influenced by the movies that he saw and loved at least subconsciously. Now the year of Goodfellas’ release may not match up with the actual moment of the opening scene, but I don’t have the energy to do the research so if you do, get back to me, and I’ll subtract a point from the movie if it does not line up. The film is shot in the style of the time period that it depicts.
Chuck is a completely relatable character even when you want to shake him for being so stupid. He is the modern, every day man as a tragic figure with a potential for greatness and happiness that he self sabotages. His flaw is his ego and insecurity. He isn’t wrong about being talented. He is a natural entertainer and raconteur, but when the opportunities arise, he fumbles until he is left living on the fumes of past glory. He sucks all the oxygen out of the room until he is left alone with strangers and alienates all the people that genuinely care about him. His motivation is that he desperately wants to be seen as a big man, but those that love him get neglected and would see him as an insufferable narcissist that puts their emotional and psychological well being in jeopardy.
Chuck is a great character study of humanity as the actors interact with each other. The dynamic of every relationship is fascinating because even as you’re rooting for Chuck, you’re simultaneously rooting for another character whose interests may be opposed to Chuck’s. The pacing of the movie actually feels sluggish after Phyllis taps out, which most would critique, but I thought was an intentional choice to show how unmoored Chuck is without a stable anchor keeping him in touch with the world away from the spotlight. There were complaints about the soundtrack, which features some great hits, but as Chuck runs into troubles, the soundtrack completely disappears and does not reemerge until Chuck gets back on track. It may be a little emotionally manipulative, but it worked for me.
Chuck is also an interesting study on male friendships. Initially John seems like the perfect friend. Chuck explains, “You need someone like that in life. Someone who’ll always answer the phone.” Unfortunately as the movie progresses, he is basically Chuck’s mirror and easily succumbs to the same temptations. They were childhood friends so he isn’t like the others who latch on to Chuck’s fame like a parasite though he definitely enjoys it. If Chuck wasn’t famous, they would still be together, and John would be his cheerleader even if it was just in a bowling alley. I would have liked to know if they’re still friends, and whether or not John was able to land on his feet considering that other than Chuck, we have no idea if he has friends and family who are willing to look out for him and get him back on track, especially considering he has less obvious talents. The movie buys into Chuck’s narcissism and forgets that John could be a casualty of Chuck’s quest for fame. I know that it is Chuck’s movie, but I think that this part of the story matters.
Based on IMDb’s trivia, Stallone may have been depicted more favorably in Chuck than he behaved in real life, but for the most part, it seems in line with the spirit of reality. Morgan Spector, who plays Stallone, nails the voice, but otherwise was one of the weaker elements in a film filled with good performances. Pooch Hall as Ali also does not succeed at embodying the legend. I’m never sure if the fault lies with the actor or the viewer because Stallone and Ali are such icons that it is virtually impossible to measure up in comparison with our imaginations. It is the equivalent of playing a beloved character from a book for a viewer who is a reader. It is impossible to meet everyone’s expectations because you can’t read minds, and you can only do the best that you can do with your interpretation of the character. I feel bad for Victor the Bear and wish that was left out or at least we got a postscript regarding how the real life bear was doing.
I would highly recommend that you see Chuck. Even my mom watched and enjoyed it, and she is extremely conservative and reserved. Chuck is an actor’s movie so if you’re interested in acting as art, I would consider it a must see movie.