I just came back from watching this very cool movie called Chronicle with my Kpop Dance Club folks. It's funny how I had no idea what the movie was about even until the first few minutes of it (not to mention I had to assure my friends that it wasn't anywhere near horror). However, the movie completely “killed” us. With that said, I couldn't help myself but do a little review about it in this post.
Set in Seattle, the sci/fi follows the story of a shy high school teenager, Andrew. As a geek in common, he was completely over his new video camera. He basically brought it everywhere, filming his daily life no matter where it takes place. When Andrew secluded himself during a party, he was approached by a boy, Steve, who persuaded him to film something that Steve and Andrew's cousin, Matt, just found. The discovery eventually resulted the group to develop telekinetic power – the ability of moving objects through mind.
When I said that the movie “killed”, I really meant of something simple in every aspect and even low-budget, could make a huge impression. The movie started off really simple as we were introduced to the life of a normal teenage boy to whom we felt pitiful at; he was picked on by school bullies, local muggers, and even rigorously abused by his alcoholic dad. Andrew's background and the discovery of his power allows a transition.
The movie itself transitioned slowly towards the end, from what was once a movie with simple, everyday life footage to somewhat darker, action-oriented scenes. The atmosphere also shifted as the movie itself started even with Matt singing to “Price Tag”. We really had no idea what it was about until the “discovery” scene.
The movie really changed in a whole for one-and-a-half hour simply in every way, including the protagonist's personality and even the cinematography.
Speaking of the cinematography, I had no problem with it. The movie was, well, a mockumentary. So basically we were given an impression as if we were watching videos we recorded in daily basis: shaky, the focus needed to be adjusted, and blurry. Even the angles could twist and crimp in an extreme way. If you were not getting used to seeing this kind of cinematography, you would most likely feel nauseous. But this element gives a realistic sense instead.
What really killed me the most was also the character's transition. Man, I always love transitions in the movie. The element of character's transition is what I think would move me the most in a movie, and even could make me cry at some points, but I didn't, though, on this movie. I shed tears when the emperor's life drastically shifted at the end of The Last Emperor, and also when Robin William's robot character in Bicentennial Man experienced a great change. But I never, I repeat, EVER – no matter how amazingly awesome Star Wars is – impressed by the transition of the once gentle-hearted Anakin Skywalker to becoming Darth Vader in Episode III.
Transition gives the sense of contrast and sometimes irony. It goes when a good character becomes bad and vice versa; a rich person loses all his fortune and vice versa, and so forth. The great transition at the end of the movie always makes you want to look back at the character's condition at the beginning of the movie. You kinda want to compare the character's life at the beginning of the movie and at the end, and how he underwent a change that would transform him someone different. That's when it strikes you as “that's so ironic!”.
Anyway, I won't spoil much about the specific transition I found in this movie, I just thought I'd give you some ideas from the examples I mentioned earlier. Given to the fact that the character was timid and all, *spoiler*you are likely to identify what became of him in the latter part of the movie. *spoiler*
Overall, the acting is average, but you'll find yourself falling in love with the deuteragonist, Matt. Find out why by watching the movie! Dane DeHaan, who portrayed Andrew, delivered quite a good acting. He might have the look of the boy next door but his acting really topples his image. although I think he hasn't done it to the fullest especially for a character who experienced a change.
Alex Russell who played as Andrew's cousin, Matt, deserves an appraisal as well. Matt's role was more of a guardian, brother-figure to Andrew. He was basically the wise figure of the group, the most mature, and deserved that credit for setting up the rules in using the power. Haha that's why I love him. And he's kinda cute too at some parts.
Michael B. Jordan also portrayed Steve really well. Steve had always been the “clown” in the group, the one that always came up with ideas of practical jokes and the most playful one. I think he's really adorable and audience can totally look up to him as a role model. Not only that he's sociable and a Student Body president candidate, but despite his popularity, he stays loyal with his two less popular and even secluded friends, Matt and Andrew. *spoiler* although it's sad to say that a dreadful thing came to him along the way *spoiler*.
It's a good thing the production house cast less popular actors so that they match with the format of the movie itself: a mockumentary. The casting of less popular actor in a mockumentary gives us an impression as if we were watching our friends' videos. Say, I bet it would have been awkward to see the already-famous Jake Gyllenhaal in a mockumentary.
Overall, I consider Chronicle to be the most realistic superpower-themed movie. People usually associate that kind of movie with typical “superhero vs supervillain” storyline, where the superhero, who was once a hero, retrieved a power, developed it, met the villain, and killed him the end. As the saying goes, “With big power comes big responsibility”, the bond of these boys was tested as they encountered their own enemy. That enemy was not any supervillain, but it was no other than their own superpower.
The movie might not have a strong twist. As mentioned, it emphasizes on transition. I believe, Josh Trank, the director, tries to deliver a superpower-themed story in a different way, involving an enemy that is not a visible villain, but more of an enemy within the character's selves. *spoiler*I pretty much consider the superpower itself, combined with Andrew's wish to explore his darker side, to be the antagonist. If you see the movie towards the end, you might think that there's no actual antagonist in the movie unlike stereotypical superhero movies (Andrew is just the host of the antagonist, but he isn't); the antagonist is, in short, unseen.*spoiler*
The realistic sense itself lies on the fact that we can relate the movie to us.
So basically the movie is the answer to what might be our everyday life question:
What would we do if we have a superpower? What would we do about it?
Chronicle visualizes what most of us normal people living in a modern world would think about having a superpower. Ideally, we'll use it for good, but most people or even ourselves, would prefer to do it for fun, playing pranks because we were invincible with that power. The movie basically gave you the realistic idea about how it felt like having a superpower and whether we were responsible towards it.
Chronicle gives you a chilling, tense sensation that won't make you move a muscle. Call me exaggerating, but whenever I sat on the theatre with jaw dropped, eyes widened, then I knew I was totally absorbed into the movie. This doesn't happen to movies like, strangely, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you're looking for an easy movie without having to interpret anything, Chronicle's storyline totally fulfills this criteria, as it's so simple and easy to understand.
Okay, so go on and see this movie. Being mindblown is guaranteed :)
It's not just another superhero/scifi flick
Btw, Elda has done a rich analysis on The Artist, which we came to see last night. Check her review!
