Every so often a film surprises me…Sometimes in a good way…Sometimes in a not so good way.
Walking into the screening of ‘Chronicle’ directed by Josh Trank, I was expecting to see a movie that I’ve seen way too many times…teenagers get superpowers and fight evil doers.
Wow, was I happily surprised…Yes…teenagers do get superpowers…It happens when they’re exposed to an alien device, but…
What these three boys do with their superpowers, is what makes ‘Chronicle’, one of the most original, exciting, entertaining, and interesting films, I’ve seen in a long time.
The guys are just your typical dudes dealing with stuff that all teenagers deal with…When they discover that they have the power of telekinesis, nothing really changes for them…They just use it…to have fun…For awhile, anyway.
Matt (Alex Russell) who likes to quote Carl Jung and Schopenhauer wants to follow the rules….Rule #1…We never use our power when we’re angry. Not so easy for…
Andrew (Dane DeHann)…He has major rage issues…But you can’t really blame him. Andrew’s daddy is an abusive alcoholic and his mother is dying a painful death from cancer.
The outgoing Steve (Michael B. Jordan) who’s running for class president, wants to help his new buddy Andrew, come out of his shell and…and oh yeah…lose his virginity.
The film is shot from Andrew’s P.O.V. (‘Cloverfield’, ‘Paranormal Activity’, etc) He’s obsessed with chroniciling his life. As his powers grow, he learns to operate the camera telekinetically, which opens up his entire world. Andrew is able to make the camera float, fly and capture action in a very unique way.
This is especially evident in the flying scenes. You can’t help but feel like you’re up in the clouds with these three guys.
Of course, the film is not just about boys being boys. There’s a very dark side to ‘Chronicle’ which leads to an exhillarating climax.
The actors are all exellent. They make their characters totally believable. And alot of that has to do with the wonderful script written by Trank and Max Landis.
The ‘Two Jews On Film’ were pretty close on this one. Check out our video to see how many bagels we gave ‘Chronicle’ which opens in theatres Friday, February 3, 2012. Don’t miss it.
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