A Movie A Week - Week 5: Chronicle

Movie: Chronicle
Theater: AMC Discover Mills 18
Snack: Popcorn and Coke (aka The Classic)

Note: Sorry for the lateness.  Illness, school, and work just took up too much of my time this week and so this is a day late.  So to my one reader, I apologize.


Here is an example of a film I probably would have passed up had I not committed to this whole movie a week thing.  I'm a bit wary (and, for that matter, a bit weary) of these "found footage" style films.  The idea was a novelty when "The Blair Witch Project" came out in 1999, but recently there have just been so many of them that it just feels like a cheap gimmick.  That said, "Chronicle" isn't harmed by the gimmick.  The story probably could have been told just as well without it, but as I said, no harm done.

This is the story of three teenagers being granted super-powers after exploring a mysterious hole in the ground (as teenagers are wont to do).  From there, we get what turns out to be a very good "super-powers in the real world" story.  I do question one of the major dramatic choices, however.  This is going to take us into SPOILER territory, so if you have not seen the movie and don't want the ending spoiled, read no further.





I question the choice of POV character.  In this sort of movie, the character with the camera is the audiences POV.  In this case, that character was Andrew, played by Dane DeHaan.  In the early part of the movie, he is a largely unseen voice behind the camera.  His rather flat affect, while important and fitting when viewed in context of what happens later, leaves us with a dull narrator introducing us to the world of the film.  The fact that this character is the one who develops into the villain of the piece is an interesting choice, but I'm not sure if it was the best one.  It becomes difficult to empathize with him once he starts to exhibit sociopathic tendencies. I find that I'm a bit conflicted about the choice.  On the one hand, I laud the defying of conventions, but at the same time I really wanted more time to connect with the more heroic Matt (played by  Alex Russell), especially when the final confrontation occurs.  Ultimately, I don't feel the film was hurt by the choice as I thoroughly enjoyed it.