Simply put…Chronicle is one of the coolest flicks out there. In fact, the only thing yours truly kept saying after the 83 minutes concluded was, “That was so F’ing cool.” And that’s the quote that got passed along to the studio when they inquired after the screening. It really is that simple.
This is positioned as a homemade documentary constructed by a nerdy & lonely high school senior named, Andrew (Dane DeHaan). One day he just had the urge to capture things on film. The only one who gives him any sort of attention is a fellow classmate, Matt (Alex Russell). Matt is the guy who has had it easy growing up, from a social perspective, and lives the “dream high school” scenario. Out of nowhere, Andrew makes another unlikely friend in the all-around student, Steve (Michael B. Jordan).
Steve came looking for Andrew so he can video something that he and Matt found in a deep underground cavern. When they make contact with the object, the three develop intense telekinetic powers, leading them to form an inseparable bond with each other. As they learn to develop and harness their powers, the environment they currently live in impacts the choices they make in how to go about their new found talents.
Is it a found-footage film with an X-Men: First Class type theme? A little bit. As the story opens up it kind of plays more to the first Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve. And the epic, plus equally intelligent, action sequence at the end will make Superman vs. General Zod & Co. in Superman II; eat its proverbial heart out. All thanks to the uber-creative cinematography and seamless special-effects.
Speaking of, the one element that has always hampered the found-footage genre is the lack of cinematography. Most of the time, the audience is limited to only seeing one or two perspectives. For instance, a movie such as Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project really suffered from how it was presented. A lot of that had to do with the chosen atmosphere it was trying to tell the story in. Then there are recent flicks such as [Rec] and Paranormal Activity 2 & 3, which found a way to maximize their limitations and work the script around the camera placement. Even 2012’s curtain-jerker, The Devil Inside executed a few innovative ways to get around the one or two POV camera angle. But in the grand scheme of things, it has to fit with the screenplay and genre.
The filmmakers for this flick seemingly knew how they wanted to shoot the elaborate and/or CGI moments first, and then constructed the engaging story around that. By doing so, they may have created a masterpiece when considering the genre they’re working in.
And not to mention, this is any comic-geek/fanboys wet-dream. Seeing the superpowers on display, which range from flying to manipulating objects Star Wars Force-like, is a fantasy come true. Best part about all that though, the script has some true interpersonal drama, and laughs, that is just as interesting as the show-n-tell sequences. Despite being able to do the impossible, this piece finds a nice balance to keep this relatable or realistic if you will. This story is just like those choose-your-own-adventure books on some levels. Or even how some videogames allow the player to choose their path (good or evil) and the story adapts to the character’s actions. You are essentially allowed to see what path you can choose through three performers who marvelously find the right tone in each of their respective characters.
Finally, the editing, cinematography and general mapping out of the story – and how the writers always covered their tracks through the dialogue and kept the continuity levels on point – are literally on a whole other level in this genre.
Overall, Chronicle is so freaking cool. There are some obvious storytelling patterns it will go over but the journey is so worth it. Everyone involved (in front & behind the lens) are one hell of a filmmaking superpower.
Chronicle is rated PG-13 and opens in the Tampa Bay market on Friday.
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