This movie seems to get pretty good reviews. Has anyone seen it? Didn't it just come out recently?

...the movie was first shown at the Sundance festiav last January, and went on general release last July; opinions differ as to how 'good' it is, e.g. the following review:

http://us.imdb.com/Reviews/253/25382

makes it sound most unpromising - to me, anyway...

. . .




[This message has been edited by Hendrik (edited December 24, 2000).]

i don't think that reviewer gets it at all.

it's a comedy. and a hysterical one. i saw it during its theatrical release with a friend and just watched the DVD the another night with my girlfriend. all 3 of us found it to be immensely funny.

and it wasn't just shot on videotape. it was shot on digital video; the film is partly a DV experiment.

anyhoo, for 3 non-actors, White and the Weitz brothers (especially Paul) deliver classic performances. a highly-recommended comedy about love, obsession, and the people you spend your life trying to avoid.

DJ

I watched this and honestly didn't see one funny thing in it. I thought is was depressing and just plain odd. After watching it I looked at the box and saw it was a comedy. I thought blockbust messed up. Maybe I should watch it again. I guess it could be like American Movie where you could watch it as sad or funny.

Chuck and Buck is definitely not for everyone. I thought it was very funny, but it really depends on your sensibilities. If you're a fan of offbeat films, I would give it a rental.

As for reviews, I don't pay attention to what reviewers write unless I trust their judgement. No one will always have views that align with mine, but when a critic isn't even accurate in their classification of a film or its origins, I have a tendency to disregard their opinion. Then again, I have disliked Steve Rhodes' reviews for years now...

--Heather

[This message has been edited by DVDer (edited December 27, 2000).]

Just sent this one back to netflix. Very strange black comedy. There is some serious talk about Mike White,the lead actor,getting an oscar nom. There are 2 commentaries on this dvd. The 1st the usual director/writer thing; the 2nd one, which I loved, is by a grip and the ass't director. Priceless.

I believe that it's always wise to rent a movie before you buy it. This is especially the case for an offbeat film like "Chuck and Buck". Some people will love it, while others will loathe it. I'm somewhere in the middle. I thought that parts of it were very funny and, given the small scope of the film, the performances were quite good. However, some parts, like the too pat ending, did not work for me. On the whole, I enjoyed it. I saw it in theaters and will probably rent the DVD, but I don't think that I would purchase it.

jim

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http://www.dvdtracker.com/~gamblor187.asp

My Current Film Noir Count: 102

What an odd little film...


I loved it. This film was, for me, quite funny, yet at the same time, extremely creepy. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering how far Buck would go!

And there is a "surprise" here. I sort of suspected it the whole time, and it explains why Chuck tolerated Buck as long as he did... I'd surmise that most people in a similar situation would have called the police 15 minutes into the film, and would have taken out a restraining order.

As for the ending, I have to say that I bought it. Rituals serve an important part in most societies, and allow people to enter new phases of existence, and evolve. One such "ritual" happened here, and a sort of catharsis came of it.

Special kudos to Mike White, whose performance, as alluded to above, treads that fine line between funny, and funny farm.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, this film is not for everyone. I believe that it might deserve at least two viewings to be fully appreciated, as the revelation toward the last quarter of the film challenges the viewer to reevaluate the relationship between the two leads, and sheds a new light on the first three quarters of the film.

Recommended to anyone who likes to take a (occasional?) walk on the wild side, with their film viewing.

Check out the rotten tomatoes web site.

I bought this online and found it much better than expected. It is pretty creepy but also funny and touching, too. You might think you know what's next but you probably don't. Homophobes and closet cases need not bother, but for the enlightened it's worth at least a rental, and I am very glad I bought it.

[This message has been edited by Kavalier (edited January 01, 2001).]