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Chuck and Buck: Mike White writes and stars in this unsettling, often creepy, yet surprisingly uplifting story of a California man-child (Chuck) who, upon the death of his mother, seeks his one, childhood friend (Buck, played by Chris Weitz), a hip, up-and-coming Los Angeles record executive. Chuck's attempts to reconnect with Buck soon becomes obtrusive and then lapse into stalking. As his presence becomes greater, we learn more about their childhood relationship as well as Buck's pain as a cloistered child, who, up until the loss of his mother at age 27, never left the realm of his childhood life. White's performance is eery and effective. He draws you in by eliciting sympathy and then-loathing, creating understanding in the process because his character is ostensibly a responsible adult, but in reality, knows no more than a 10 year old boy. The director, Miguel Arteta, previously directed only television work, and he has a Homicide: Life on the Street directorial credit. His work is sparse and tight, and he is clearly comfortable letting the actors act without interference (Keith Gordon, the director of this year's hideous film-schoolish conceit Waking the Dead should be relegated to the minors of directing Walker: Texas Ranger as a lesson). Given the tense undercurrents between the characters as they confront the menace of a boy in a man's body, Arteta's discipline is apt. Grade: B+.
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