Chronicle

February 7th, 2012

Bulging muscles, awe inspiring gadgetry and copious amounts of spandex have dominated our screens for years, and there appears no stopping it what with Bats and a few avengers coming out to play this Summer. The people love it and therefore Hollywood loves it, so when a couple of unknown yet well connected filmmakers (writer Max Landis is son of director John Landis) came along with the script for Chronicle, well, needless to say it didn’t take Hollywood long to jump on board.

Despite the continued appeal of superhero/comic films, green lighting Chronicle was not without risk. With a paltry budget and a largely unknown cast there was a risk that director Josh Trank’s plucky, character driven offering may crumble under the intense pressure generated from it’s heavyweight competitors, and yet much like Peter Parker, this weedy looking film has packed a surprisingly powerful punch which is sure to have it’s larger foes on red alert.

On the surface Chronicle appears to be your standard MTV teen offering complete with a trio of archetypal teens; the popular sportsman come student president Steve (Michael B. Jordan), Matt (Alex Russell) a smart, chiseled, philosophical trend breaker and his emotionally troubled cousin Andrew (Dane DeHaan) whose life is tortured by his ill mother and abusive father. Normal teens, normal problems.

Couple this with a simple origin story, which has our youthful trio stumbling upon an underground rock that unexplainably grants the three of them telekinetic powers, and you have a cross between The Inbetweeners and Spiderman. For Chronicles first half hour this is exactly how it plays out as the boys use their new powers to freak people out and blow up girls skirts, all the while sniggering in the background. You can’t help but snigger along with them.

Despite this jovial start, Chronicle, like any masked hero soon begins to show it’s true identity, which is an altogether darker beast. The catalyst is Andrew. The most troubled of the bunch, Andrew is our eyes and ears for the most part of the film having taken up documenting his entire life on camera. Andrew’s disconnection and incessant use of the camera is a superb ploy to capture the film’s action without surrendering to the shaky cam cliché but more importantly evokes a different reaction to these new found capabilities.

Whilst initially their powers were used for fun, they all soon realise the danger these powers present when Andrew sends a pick-up hurling off the road in an act of petulance, resulting in a man almost being killed. This simple action creates the first signs of friction within the group and the pent up anger held within Andrew. As the friction grows, the divide in the group becomes greater leaving Andrew alone with a poisoned mind and ever growing powers.

A comic book cliché does begin to formulate at this point which is by no means a bad thing. Whilst not adapted from a comic, Chronicle is one of few superhero films in recent years that is true to comic book fundamentals which is a tribute to Landis’ script. The three characters are well developed and emotionally engaging, enhanced by excellent performances from all three actors, but most notably DeHaan whose dark and yet emotionally strung performance adds a great deal of substance to a well worn plot.

Although constrained by a first person format and a low budget, Trank does an exceptional job with the visuals, utilising some very clever digital wizardry and managing to steer clear of the nauseous camera shake by cleverly using Andrew’s telekinesis to have the camera float steadily for the most part of the film. Trank concludes with a masterclass at the films climax; a superbly choreographed and executed aerial fight sequence that is thrilling to watch whilst remaining emotionally engaging.

Chronicle is a big surprise; one which will have it’s fellow superheroes feeling a little uncomfortable come their arrival this Summer. Does it lack originality? Yes. It’s a tried and tested method, but this is possibly the reason why it is due high praise. In an overcrowded market it has managed to stand out because of an engaging script (POW!), strong performances (THUNK!) and expert direction (KAPOW!); fundamentals which are often found M.I.A in its competitors. (THUD!)

Words > Sam Lawrence

Tags: Action, Alex Russell, Chronicle, comedy, Comics, Dane DeHaan, Josh Trank, Max Landis, Michael B. Jordan, Sci-Fi, Superheroes