Chronicle

Was not expecting much from this movie. HBO just updated their catalog for the month, and this film was added. With not much to do last morning I decided, "Why the hell not?" The writer is a guy named Max Landis who's a successful up-and-coming screenwriter from our generation. He's got a few projects in the works, but I think this is the only major feature film  of his produced so far. Anyways, I thought I would give it a go and see what kind of talent this guy has.

...and it's good.

Like, really good.

Like, now one of my favorite superhero films good.

It's a simple story told in an extraordinary way. You have three high school seniors who  decide to go exploring a mysterious cave they find outside Seattle and end up encountering some weird shit - erie glowing crystals that look out of this world - that causes them to all blackout. Next thing you know, they awake to find out they have telekinesis, are super durable, and can fly. (They basically have the quintessential superpowers aside from super strength or heat vision.) Everything is fun and games for them as they begin exploring their powers in different ways until one of the kids (the one who's picked on in school and has a troubled home life) ends up going bat-shit crazy and recking havoc on the city.

There are two things about this movie that I'm really impressed with. First is the technique at how the movie was shot. They did the whole mockumentary-thing where the movie is pieced together using "found footage" - same as Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield - only they flipped it on its head. They did a great job at really making the camera feel like another character. The antagonist, Andrew, opens the film as he's just purchased a camera to secretly film his alcoholic father beat him. Then, out of a sense of curiosity (that later morphs into egotism) Andrew documents everything in his life. Once Andrew gains his powers they have these great shots of him floating the camera around his body as his just stares into it giving the audience a window into his madness. On a side note, this is a clever technique to bring in some captivating tracking shots in shooting style that normally would never allow such thing.

During the climax fight scene, where Andrew doesn't have his camera anymore, the movie switches up the rules basically allowing footage gathered from all authentic, organic sources (i.e. cell phones, news reporters, security cameras... you get the idea). It's brilliant! There's even one moment where Andrew, in all of his deranged, egotistical rage, floats above the Space Needle and pulls a buch of cameras from tourist. He then has them circle his body while a conversation transpires between him and his superpower-endowed cousin. From the audiences viewpoint, we jump around Andrew in a disorienting, maddening way. It's epic and a lot of fun.

I honestly think what impresses me the most about this is that it looks as though all these camera shots had to be intentionally penned out in the script. Props to Landis. 

The second thing I love is the development of the bullied antagonist, Andrew. He goes completely bonkers in the movie, but the conditions he's raised in makes you feel sympathetic. Seeing as how he has the camera, the movie really focuses on him the most. You witness his abusive, alcoholic father beat the shit out of him. You see Andrew weep for his mother slowly dying of cancer. Watch as bullies continuously pick on him at school. Even though he becomes this horrible monster by the end, I can't help but feel as though I wouldn't be any different had I been in his shoes. After watching superhero movie after superhero, it' s rare to find one that makes you feel so strongly for the villain as much as this one does - at a distant second there's young Magneto being tortured as a child at the Jewish concentration camps.

I remember seeing this come to theaters and instantly brushing it aside. There didn't seem to be anything that compelling to make me think it could be worth my time and money. Plus I'm not a huge fan of found footage movies. Well, almost a year and a half later, I've come around. Wikipedia mentions that Landis has signed on to do a sequel with Fox. If that project does make it to the finish line, I'll be sure to check it out in theaters.