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Despite all Sundance and critical fanfare to the contrary, this intriguing indie hit is hardly an easily digested little winner. Miguel Arteta's film is more than a bit unsettling, and scene after scene plays with intense discomfort. After the death of his mother, strangely juvenile 27-year-old Buck (Mike White) heads off to L.A. with the oblivious, obsessive intent of working his way back into the life of childhood pal Chuck (Chris Weitz), with whom he'd sexually experimented as a boy. Chuck's engaged now, which only serves to increase Buck's determination ("When it's just you and me here, it's like I'm OK," he says. "And all this other stuff makes me feel dead."). Arteta and screenwriter White (who's quite good as Buck) stretch credibility more than once--Buck's troubling emotional state is sketchy, to say the least--and some of their humor is too smirkingly ironic for its own good, but the film's edgy sadness keeps poking at you. Whatever its flaws, there's something compelling here about the fear of growing up and the more unnerving dread of being found out. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Forrest Gump meets Fatal Attraction
Certain members of the pseudo-intellectual crowd, the type who attend film festivals to be "challenged" by a film instead of merely "entertained," will flock like lemmings to see or rent this film.   I know this type well, because I am currently dating one, and he persuaded me to view this film with him.   What a waste of two hours of my time!

Before I receive hate mail for being "mainstream," let me make it plain that I have enjoyed many films which are off the beaten path: Maurice, My Beautiful Launderette, Beethoven's Nephew, or the recent (WONDERFUL) Big Eden, the list goes on and on.   Unfortunately, the main characters of this tiresome little opus have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and neither does the script.  

Buck, the main character, is an emotionally retarded man in his late 20s, who has never moved past an early adolescent sexual experience with his best friend, Chuck, who HAS grown up and is preparing to get married.  After Buck's mother dies (the first scene in the movie, a charming way to start a film, don't you think?) Chuck attends the funeral, where Buck makes a pass at his old friend in the restroom.  When Chuck rejects Buck's advance, he remains undeterred, and moves to Los Angeles to, in effect stalk Chuck.

While Mike White tries to portray Buck as fragile and lovable, he merely comes across as creepy and irritating.  Frankly, I wound up having more sympathy for Chuck and his fiance, and kept wondering why they didn't go to the police for a restraining order.  That's what any real person would have done.  In another instance of unreality, Buck befriends a young boy who injures his hand with a firecracker. But would any responsible (or even semi-responsible) parent let a character like Buck get within a hundred feet of her son? The utter lack of verisimilitude in these characters' behavior makes it impossible for any semi-critical person to suspend his/her disbelief. The movie rambles through several subplots until Buck winds up blackmailing Chuck into one, final, sexual encounter. The saving grace of this scene is that the viewer knows that the film must be finally nearing an end.

There are those who call this type of film deep and relevant. Frankly, I can find more depth and relevance in an episode of Star Trek.  

Punches a nerve
When Buck, an immature 27-year-old, is reunited with his best friend, Chuck, a successful music industry executive, his resulting infatuation threatens to ruin Chuck's previously stable existence. CHUCK & BUCK successfully blends comedy, drama, and stalker films and is made all the more immediate by Miguel Arteta's decision to shoot on digital video. This, coupled with the striking performances by the two leads--both nonprofessional actors (Mike White and Chris Weitz are successful screenwriters)--results in a highly original film that can't easily be categorized.

"Chuck and Buck" is a disturbing but fascinating film. I have been in both Chuck's shoes (I had a guy in my math class who would not leave me alone, to the point of following me around constantly, asking me out, and calling me) and in Buck's (I was in love with my best friend for two years and went through hell because of it), and let me tell you, neither side is pretty. That's why "Chuck and Buck" is so powerful. It is an extremely real depiction of a stalker and his stalkee. Sure, it's hard to take at times, but the writing, directing, and especially acting, are brilliant.

An expert at finding the humanity in seemingly irredeemable characters, director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) touches more than a few raw nerves, and he taps into the characters' memories through dreamlike footage of young boys and the use of an insidiously catchy kiddie-pop ditty. "Chuck & Buck" is the sort of film that burrows under the skin by refusing to establish the expected cinematic distance between the audience and the bizarre man-child at its center. It may freak us out, but it's never a freak show. Good times!

This Is The Movie That The Cable Guy Should Have Been.
This is one of those movies that makes you laugh and squirm at the same time. Mike White's script and his impressive performance are the driving force behind the film. If you like smart dark comedy, I recommend this movie highly.

You could use a reality check
Shut up. Try getting stalked for 4 years by a Buck-like person and you'll see what I mean idiot.

A welcome refresher
Woah...sounds like the last reviewer could use some therapy of his own.

Yes, a dark movie...yes, a disturbing movie...but it keeps your attention, challenges you, and most importantly its' complexity is an experience...that's why a movie should be about.

And for what it's worth, Buck's desperation and anti-social behaviors are pitiful...how can someone not feel bad for the guy on some level? ... Read more

Description

Fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm come to vivid theatrical life in Paul Sills' innovative Yale Repertory Theater production. Taking simple, narrative stories - such classics as "The Golden Goose," "The Blue Light," "The Clever Gretel," "The Goose Girl," and "The Bremen Town Musicians" - Paul Sills eliminated the customary use of sets and costumes and relied instead on the transforming talents of his gifted actors. Utilizing gestures, mime, music and the actors' own imaginations, he has created a fresh and unique theater piece to present these timeless tales. ... Read more