This movie was neither worthy of loving or loathing, it just kinda 'was'. I found it more interesting trying to understand its writer than the characters. Had rented it on DVD, and after watching hoped that the commentary track with the star/author would illuminate. Not even. I couldn't begin to suggest if someone else will like this movie, since clearly everyone has their own reaction and some love it. While watching it wasn't boring, I can't say I liked it, despite being comfortable with off-the-wall material. But if you happen to have serious issues with homosexuality, you will probably NOT want to see this movie, even though it isn't about being gay in the ordinary sense. I never understand people who'll go to a movie like Threesome and then groan at two men kissing. Grow up already.
All the C&B men we see in any depth are disfunctional. Chuck and his bride-to-be barely communicate apparently, since she never knows anything until almost the end of the movie. Chuck is barely able to communicate period come to think of it, he's a man of actions not words... so I guess he really is straight. Buck is what the other reviewers say: creepy, pitiful, pathetic, etc., but I fail to understand how one would get stuck at 11 years old going through the US school system. If you go to middle and highschool, you WILL come out different than you went in. Too much happens, especially when combined with the hormone cocktail that is puberty. Did Buck just sit in the house until he was 22 when his mom got sick? There was little effort to explain all that either. I know guys who are stuck at 18, Hell *I* may be a guy who is stuck at 18, but 11? Just don't buy that.
*** PROBABLE SPOILERS BEYOND HERE ***
Its seems much more interesting things could have been done with this story. One of the cool things about Indies is that they can go out on a limb and aren't subject to test audiences, a requirement for happy endings, etc. And remember Fatal Attraction? Now there was a stalker! Buck a stalker? Eh. Kept waiting for him to do something extreme, but he never did really, unless the firecracker thing with little Tommy wasn't an accident. They could have had an interesting story arc if Sam had at first allowed Buck some latitude then got cold feet later, but they didn't do that. Or if Sam had been willing, but only for a one way 'relationship'. The actors playing Sam and Chuck are brothers in real life by the way.
And the ending is as rotten as could be. Did Chuck only let Buck do the one thing, or did they complete the lil 'Chuck and Buck, S--- and ----' rhyme all the way around? Did Chuck do it because he really thought it would end it all, or because he was many martinis deep and horny? Considering the kiss, one would think he really wanted to, since even when a lot of guys 'experiment' with other dudes, kissing is rarely on the menu.
In a deleted scene on the DVD, Chuck throws Buck out of his office, after their deal, so the deal couldn't have worked very well. If Sam didn't want Buck's advances, and knew he was sick (the stunted mental state, not any reference to being gay), why would he want him next door? What was the source of Buck's sudden emotional transition in the last minutes? Finding a new guy to obsess about just one door down? Finally getting that one (adult) sexual experience with someone he had powerful feelings for? At least I can relate to wanting an intimate connection just once when having a powerful crush on someone, but don't think that getting it physically would suddenly make it all better... probably the opposite. Or was his final awaking being threatened with bodily harm (again, the deleted scene)?
Even for somewhat disturbed people, all this does not make sense. If there is a message here, it is too jumbled to be useful. If I'm going to watch realistic disfunctional people with real problems, I'd much rather watch Six Feet Under on HBO. There's more depth in one episode than in this. Of course I might continue to watch a show with a rarely shaven, often shirtless Peter Krause even if it didn't have depth.
Chuck & Buck... Damn the luck. Mostly yuck. Did Chuck really suck? Why was Buck so struck? I'll never know, and come to think of it, I don't give a f---! If you haven't seen it and still want to, I wish you luck.
All the C&B men we see in any depth are disfunctional. Chuck and his bride-to-be barely communicate apparently, since she never knows anything until almost the end of the movie. Chuck is barely able to communicate period come to think of it, he's a man of actions not words... so I guess he really is straight. Buck is what the other reviewers say: creepy, pitiful, pathetic, etc., but I fail to understand how one would get stuck at 11 years old going through the US school system. If you go to middle and highschool, you WILL come out different than you went in. Too much happens, especially when combined with the hormone cocktail that is puberty. Did Buck just sit in the house until he was 22 when his mom got sick? There was little effort to explain all that either. I know guys who are stuck at 18, Hell *I* may be a guy who is stuck at 18, but 11? Just don't buy that.
*** PROBABLE SPOILERS BEYOND HERE ***
Its seems much more interesting things could have been done with this story. One of the cool things about Indies is that they can go out on a limb and aren't subject to test audiences, a requirement for happy endings, etc. And remember Fatal Attraction? Now there was a stalker! Buck a stalker? Eh. Kept waiting for him to do something extreme, but he never did really, unless the firecracker thing with little Tommy wasn't an accident. They could have had an interesting story arc if Sam had at first allowed Buck some latitude then got cold feet later, but they didn't do that. Or if Sam had been willing, but only for a one way 'relationship'. The actors playing Sam and Chuck are brothers in real life by the way.
And the ending is as rotten as could be. Did Chuck only let Buck do the one thing, or did they complete the lil 'Chuck and Buck, S--- and ----' rhyme all the way around? Did Chuck do it because he really thought it would end it all, or because he was many martinis deep and horny? Considering the kiss, one would think he really wanted to, since even when a lot of guys 'experiment' with other dudes, kissing is rarely on the menu.
In a deleted scene on the DVD, Chuck throws Buck out of his office, after their deal, so the deal couldn't have worked very well. If Sam didn't want Buck's advances, and knew he was sick (the stunted mental state, not any reference to being gay), why would he want him next door? What was the source of Buck's sudden emotional transition in the last minutes? Finding a new guy to obsess about just one door down? Finally getting that one (adult) sexual experience with someone he had powerful feelings for? At least I can relate to wanting an intimate connection just once when having a powerful crush on someone, but don't think that getting it physically would suddenly make it all better... probably the opposite. Or was his final awaking being threatened with bodily harm (again, the deleted scene)?
Even for somewhat disturbed people, all this does not make sense. If there is a message here, it is too jumbled to be useful. If I'm going to watch realistic disfunctional people with real problems, I'd much rather watch Six Feet Under on HBO. There's more depth in one episode than in this. Of course I might continue to watch a show with a rarely shaven, often shirtless Peter Krause even if it didn't have depth.
Chuck & Buck... Damn the luck. Mostly yuck. Did Chuck really suck? Why was Buck so struck? I'll never know, and come to think of it, I don't give a f---! If you haven't seen it and still want to, I wish you luck.