I believe that the ability to suspend disbelief is a big factor to the enjoyment of a movie. Of course, sometimes the degree of suspension can vary from person to person. I also believe that movie trailers help us decide our degree in a big way. I can vouch for this with my own enjoyment of the movie Sucker Punch. From the very first trailer I knew that all I would be getting out of this experience was pure eye candy. And that’s what I got. So walking into Chronicle this evening I had good expectations as to where my levels were. If you have ever read the occasional comic book or seen one of the many blockbuster superhero movies that seem to come out multiple times a year, I think most people should be ready for this one.
Chronicle begins with Andrew, a high school loner with some serious family issues. His mother is terminally ill and his father is an abusive alcoholic. It all begins in 1st person because Andrew has decided to start filming everything with a camera because… well, he’s not all right in the head (See above screwed-up family life). The first five minutes of this film seemed a bit strange to me and I was wondering if this is how the whole movie would feel. Not too impressed so far. But it really built up well and the direction the film’s leads was quite enjoyable. I won’t get into a detailed review of this movie because I think you should all go check it out for yourself, but I will give a brief synopsis.
Andrew, his cousin Matt and Matt’s friend Steve find a mysterious hole in the earth. They investigate and come across something that grants them ‘super powers’. The trio’s powers don’t manifest immediately but they learn to build upon them over time. Their slow ‘flexing’ of power was executed wonderfully and it made me reflect back on my childhood. I defy anyone to tell me they didn’t wish for some kind of extraordinary super power when they were growing up. What child didn’t run around their house pretending to be Superman? The scenes in which the three boys are slowly learning and expanding on their ever growing, new found abilities are the ones that stick with me the most. Eventually, Andrew’s powers grow to the point that he can make the camera follow him where ever he goes. So instead of seeing the movie through the eyes of Andrew, we slowly switch over from 1st person POV to 3rd person. From here on out the movie focuses on the descent into darkness that Andrew, the one in the group that has grown the strongest, experiences.
The movie most definitely had a low budget feeling to it (a measly $15 million dollars was allocated), but I also knew that going in. I was amazed at what they accomplished in 83 minutes and 15 million dollars. Were there bad moments in this movie? Of course! See above budget. Was the acting great? The three actors (Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan) were new to me, as was Director Josh Trank, but it was cast well and edited nicely for a movie such as this.
It has been 13 years since The Blair Witch Project came out, and Hollywood has done very well financially with the endless clones of “found footage” movies. The creators of this film seem to have found a way to put a fresh face on this tiring genre. But the biggest thing I walked away with after seeing this movie was how much more excited I am or this year’s upcoming superhero movies like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. Chronicle really wet my appetite!
Chronicle hits theaters today!