Rated
PG-13 (Intense Action and Violence, Thematic Material, some Language, Sexual Content
and Teen Drinking)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 24 Minutes
Cast-
Dane
DeHaan-Andrew Detmer
Alex
Russell-Matt Garetty
Michael
B. Jordan-Steve Montgomery
Ashley
Hinshaw -Casey Letter
Michael
Kelly-Richard Detmer
Bo
Petersen-Karen Detmer
Anna
Wood-Monica
Directed
by Josh Trank
 |
| With great power... |
Peter
Parker’s Uncle Ben famously said that with great power comes great
responsibility but would Peter be the same man he is today if he grew up in an
abusive environment? Despite the risk of oversaturation, superhero films
continue to be popular among audiences even if the quality can sometimes be hit-or-miss,
ranging from excellent (“The Dark Knight”) to outright awful (“Ghost Rider:
Spirit of Vengeance”). Similarly, found-footage films have resurged since the
release of 2009’s “Paranormal Activity” as they represent both a potentially
bankable and low risk investment for Hollywood studios. The first week of 2012
saw the release of “The Devil Inside” which earned an incredible $34 million
during opening weekend against a paltry $1 million production budget despite
being universally reviled by both critics and audiences alike. Found-footage
films have remained in the realm of horror for the most part but first-time
director Josh Trank merges it with the superhero genre in “Chronicle.” I have
to admit that my initial impressions from the previews were negative as it
appeared to be just another in a long line of forgettable found-footage films
looking to make a quick buck but I checked it out at the insistence of a good
friend of mine. The found-footage approach proves to be a hindrance at times and
the CG effects are uneven but “Chronicle” remains a damn good film that boasts some
solid acting from its three leads and an engaging script that effectively
blends classic superhero origin tropes with elements of a coming-of-age drama.
Andrew
Detmer (Dane DeHaan) is a high school student living in Seattle who one day decides
to start documenting his life on video camera. His abusive father Richard
(Michael Kelly) is a former firefighter who was injured on the job but now
spends his days collecting the insurance and getting drunk while his wife Karen
(Bo Petersen) slowly succumbs to cancer. Friendless and often the target of
bullies, Andrew spends his days alone but his cousin Matt Garetty (Alex Russell)
invites him to a party held at an abandoned barn in an attempt to make him more
sociable. This fails as Andrew ends up angering one of the partygoers with his
filming and he leaves dejected. Popular student and school presidential
candidate Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan) approaches Andrew and tells him
that Matt has found something in the
woods and wants it to be filmed on camera. The two meet up with Matt at a
clearing and find him standing by a peculiar hole cut into the earth. They
listen to the sounds emanating from the hole, prompting Matt and Steve to impulsively
leap in to discover its origin. Andrew hesitantly follows them and the three
come upon a strange crystalline structure. The camera’s feed begins to distort
and suddenly cuts to black when the crystal begins to glow an eerie red. After
recovering from their encounter in the cave weeks later, the three find
themselves endowed with telekinetic abilities and excitedly test them on each
other. Exerting their powers causes nosebleeds but Matt theorizes that they
will get stronger with use over time. They initially use their powers for harmless
pranks but when Andrew inadvertently puts someone’s life in danger, Matt
chastises him and decides that they must restrict the use of their abilities in
public and around other people. Although happy that he has now found a place
where he belongs, Andrew’s demeanor soon begins to change as his anger at all
those who have hurt him reaches the breaking point.
With its first-person
perspective and unique take on the classic origin story, “Chronicle” explores
the psychological consequences that results when one suddenly finds himself
wielding the powers of a god and proves John Dalberg-Acton’s famous remark that
‘power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ One of the
things that the film excels at is the interplay among the three main characters
with Trank and writer Max Landis building up a sort of journey that they go
through while their friendship strengthens thanks to their shared abilities. The
focus however is always on Andrew as it initially depicts him as a meek loner
who eventually transforms into a vengeful Magneto-like being that sets out to
destroy a world that has wronged him. While the idea is certainly a familiar
one to avid comic book readers, this ‘birth of a villain’ if you will is
grounded in teenage melodrama that is often found in more traditional dramatic
fare. There are also welcome nods to a number of comic book origin stories such
as Spider-Man. At one point a brooding Andrew sees a spider crawling on the
floor of his room and kills it by tearing apart its limbs with his mind. In
fact Landis seems to have taken inspiration from Peter Parker but instead of a
loving Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Andrew has an abusive father who takes out his
frustrations on his son and a mother on her deathbed. Despite what he becomes
at the end, he remains a tragic and even sympathetic character, which is quite
a feat to accomplish given the film’s economical running time.
Quite a few
laughs can also be had in the first hour as the three friends gleefully pull
pranks such as moving someone’s parked car to another location or trying to
pull gum out of people’s mouths, with hilarious results. The use of found-footage
may be a gimmick but it works right up until the final twenty or so minutes as
Trank tries hard to work around its limitations. This approach offers a certain
raw intimacy to the proceedings and having Andrew levitate the camera rather
than holding it ends up being quite ingenious. However, the final battle is
shown through the use of cell phone and security footage, which is edited in
such a way that it almost ruins the
immersion factor but by that time we are already invested in what is happening
so it’s not a total deal-breaker. Landis’ script also falters when it shoehorns
in a romance that goes nowhere between Matt and an online blogger named Casey (Ashley
Hinshaw). The CG effects can also come off as amateurish such as during the
levitation scenes where its painfully obvious that wirework was used but the
climax is epic enough to make up for it thanks to its “Superman II”-like scope.
Ultimately, these are minor issues and “Chronicle” succeeds because it keeps us
emotionally invested in the characters and tells a familiar story in a way that
is both fresh and exciting.
The cast is comprised of mostly unknowns whose work
has mainly been limited to television but it allows them to easily melt into
their respective roles. Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan all
give excellent performances and the natural camaraderie they share helps keep
the film grounded in the real world. However it is DeHaan who shines as he slowly
turns Andrew from victim to destructive sociopath. There are some truly disturbing
scenes where he expresses his contempt on-camera towards people he deems weak
and justifies his actions by coldly remarking that ‘you do not feel guilty when
you squash a fly.’ The only actor that you may
recognize is Michael Kelly, who has held a number of supporting roles spanning
both films and television over the years.
“Chronicle” was released on February
3, 2012 and received largely positive reviews with a surprisingly impressive
84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed the film for its ‘smart script,
fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast.’
Shot on a production budget of $12 million, it has already turned a sizable
profit with a worldwide box office gross of $81 million so far. While the film
leaves the door open for a sequel, I hope that Trank leaves it as is since some
things are just better left up to the imagination. “Chronicle” certainly took
me by surprise with its strong characterization and script, proving once again
that a director does not require massive budgets or excessive CG to create a
great film so long as he or she has an original idea and the ambition/drive to
see it through. Trank is currently a frontrunner for the “Fantastic Four”
reboot and while giving such a huge project to a new director isn’t exactly
wise, he has already proven himself capable of handling such a task. This is
the kind of new talent that Hollywood should
foster.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
“You
do not feel guilty when you squash a fly...and I think that means something. I
just think that really means something.”
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