Chronicle review
What if you had superpowers? That’s the question at the heart of “Chronicle,” a smart new take on the superhero origin story from newcomer Josh Trank . Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a high school senior and social outcast who’s got a rough time at home - his dad is an alcoholic, his mom is dying of cancer - who decides to start videotaping everything. His only real friend is his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) a nice, brainy guy who he wasn’t close with until recently. Andrew doesn’t drink and seems to be drawing even more unwanted attention to himself by bringing his oversized video camera with him everywhere. But during a barn party, Andrew and Matt along with charismatic class president Steve (“Friday Night Lights” Michael B. Jordan) discover a mysterious hole outside and go in to investigate. When they emerge they’re possessed with telekinetic abilities including the ability to move objects with their mind and fly. Not all at once, though. They must work out their new found power like a muscle, stretching its limits without breaking it.
Told through creative use of “found footage,” a genre previously only exercised for its potential for jump scares (“Paranormal Activity,” etc.), the format services as an excellent device to bring us closer to our characters while skipping past the exposition. The tradeoff is occasionally strained credulity and a few times I was pulled out of the movie just to wonder how this footage could have been shot. But the film works and works well. The teens goofing around with their powers are thrilling because they seem 100% real. Yes, that’s exactly what they (or I) probably would do if gifted with these extraordinary abilities. The special effects are serviceable but the story makes up for any shortcomings. The script (by Max Landis, son of “Animal House” legend John Landis) is smart and darker than expected. When one of our heroes begins to turn towards the dark side, you realize the film is about the birth of a supervillain more than a story about heroes. And that makes it infinitely more interesting. Kudos to director Trank for pulling off a minor miracle: a reason to visit the multiplex in February.
