Helen lives with her ex-husband, his 20-year-old girlfriend, their new baby and his dying mother Gwen. Her life at the local chicken factory is a grind, and 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 both wrote and directed this heartfelt, touching and funny film which is largely a triumph. Louise Brealey as Helen and Annabel Scholey as Joanne are brilliant. I have enjoyed their work before, Brealey in Sherlock and Brian and Charles, Scholey in The Split, but they both give career best performances here. Their characters are empathetic, even when they behave irrationally, and totally believable.
The habit of characters breaking into song when they hear it on the radio or play it on their stereo could have been annoying but it mostly works very well, helped by some astute song choices. Aside from the musical moments, Pugh’s script has some great observational lines.
My only problem was in the supporting cast, where the actors often go over the top portraying their larger than life characters. However, Chuck Chuck Baby is a joyous and touching film.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10