What kind of hero would Peter Parker be if Uncle Ben was abusive and who would Clark Kent be if Martha Kent was dying and they could not afford her medication? Think Carrie.
In Chronicle, three teenagers are graced with telekinesis after exposure to an unidentified glowing underground cave and form a friendship. Andrew (Dane DeHaan), the main character, does not fit in at school, has no friends, gets bullied, is abused by his drunken father (Michael Kelly), and struggles to help his dying mother (Bo Petersen). Matt (Alex Russell) is Andrew’s philosophical cousin and barely even counts as his friend until their superpower bond is formed. And Steve (Michael B. Jordan) is Mr. Popularity, athlete and class politician. They dabble with their powers and motivate each other to become stronger. The trio behaves like typical teenagers, using their powers for pranks and amusement at first, until Andrew has enough of his harassment and bullying.
Chronicle is a realistic origin story, though whether it is a super-hero or super-villain story is hard to say. Andrew’s life is so full of humiliation and torture that one does feel sorry for him even during his moral decline.
Chronicle will appeal to younger audiences for the realistic portrayal of teenagers in these situations and the camerawork. The style of the camerawork is what is usually described as “found footage,” using handheld home video cameras and security footage to tell the story. This style is typically used in mock-documentary fashion, but Chronicle is shown mostly through a kind of private journal for Andrew. Other scenes when Andrew and/or his camera are not present are usually shown through a classmate’s camera, security footage, and news reports. The audience only has access to the story in which it is documented through various camera sources (though this concept is a little strained). This style is usually appealing to younger audiences and might disinterest some crowds.
What is amazing about this very basic sci-fi story with its smaller budget and inexperienced filmmakers is how skillfully it contains almost non-stop special effects. Director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis (the guy behind the popular short film “The Death and Return of Superman,” available on youtube) prove that bigger is not always better. The film is less than an hour-and-a-half long. They smartly chose to keep most of the special effects, the story, and the dialogue simple. This simplicity and brevity, along with the camera style, aid in creating realism.
Rating for Chronicle: A-
For more information on this film or to view its trailer, click here.
The best place to see Chronicle would probably be at one of the theaters around OSU campus, either AMC Lennox or Gateway, because the audience will probably be more engaged. Most theaters in Columbus are showing it, though. Keep in mind how short it is, so you can fit it in anytime. For showtimes, click here.
Comments