Chuck Chuck Baby, 2023.
Directed by Janis Pugh.
Starring Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Emily Fairn, Edyta Budnik, Cat Simmons, Celyn Jones, and Sorcha Cusack.
SYNOPSIS:
Helen (Louise Brealey) lives with her ex-husband, his 20-year-old girlfriend, their new baby – and his dying mother Gwen. Her life is a grind, and like all the other women she toils with at the local chicken factory, is spent in service of the clock. She lives only for laughing with her friends at work, caring for Gwen, and music. When Joanne, the girl she secretly loved at school, comes back to town, Helen’s world is turned upside down.
Janis Pugh’s heart-warming story of lost and regained love is a movie that plays all the right notes with its heart on its sleeve.
Frequently veering into romantic musical territory thanks to easy listening hits belted out with aplomb whenever deemed appropriate, this is a movie that isn’t afraid of going right for the emosh. Amusing song and dance numbers are beautifully choreographed and the whole piece has a fairy-tale quality about it.
This fantasy style is set up right from the off, with the camera following a dandelion seed head as it floats along a terrace before finally finding chicken factory worker Helen (Louise Brealey) who is compelled to blow and make a wish.
We soon learn that Helen doesn’t have an easy life. For one, she lives with her estranged husband Gary plus his much younger girlfriend Amy (Emily Fairn) and their new baby. Also cohabiting is Gary’s mum Gwen (Sorcha Cusack), who is dying of a terminal illness. Helen and Gwen are close, and Pugh’s writing delicately shows how important their relationship is. Looking after Gwen is one of the key beacons in Helen’s narrow surroundings.
The film shows this claustrophobia with some fairly obvious visual cues – there are actual bars on Helen’s windows for one thing. But this does not detract from the overall good nature of the story. Helen has a childlike innocence about her mixed in with the detachment produced through years of disappointment. Brealey makes all of this work with a strong and endearing performance.
The return of old school mate Joanne (Annabel Scholey) to the town acts like turning a light on in Helen’s darkened world. Even though we learn that the two barely spoke 20 years or so, they clearly remember each other. Before long they are going for outings in the countryside – sometimes taking workmates along for a spot of magic mushrooming – and enjoying the freedom to romance.
Joanne, an engineer, brought back to the county to work on the electricity pylons looming over the town and look after the affairs of her recently deceased father – is brought to life by Scholey. Joanne has had her difficulties as well, and the bond between the two leads is presented believably and in touching fashion.
Overall, the film keeps it fairly light, even in the most distressing parts – Gwen’s illness for example, or Gary’s immature anger issues. It is an optimistic and affecting film that makes you feel that sometimes – just sometimes – good things really do happen to good people.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk
