Chronicle

Sir Nunnos reviews: Chronicle.

My wife and I often like to watch fantasy movies. She has a taste for epics, disaster flicks and things with giant robots. Often, after the recently ubiquitous Super Hero movies, we will journey home having the perennial discussion: what would you do if you had this or that super power? How would a normal person behave when given the ability to fly, or to move objects with only a thought?

Enter this week’s movie – Chronicle.

Directed by Josh Trank and with a cast lacking any big names, the cinematography is vaguely reminiscent of the “documentary style” of Cloverfield, the Blair Witch Project and last year’s Apollo 18. Unlike those stylistic predecessors, however, Chronicle makes use of different perspectives and camera angles, licence for which is granted by the nifty tricks of the protagonists.

The story follows three young men in their senior year at school who receive unusual powers of telekinesis. There is little to explain the origin of these powers apart from a glowing rock in a cave – and once it has performed its rocky business on the hapless youths, there is nary another mention of it until the very end of the movie. Normally, the comic-book-hoarding bore in me would be screaming in outrage at such an oversight, but the nature of the movie is such that my ire was completely forgotten.

Chronicle is not about how or why these kids develop such fantastic abilities. It’s not even about what they do with these newfound powers. No, the story is a character portrait. The three archetypal young men - the popular, good looking Steve, the nerdy girl-fumbling Matt and the reclusive, bullied Andrew - develop new telekinetic “muscles” at a similar rate, but it’s how they view them that is crucial: as a game, as a threat to be carefully monitored and regulated, or as a potential key to freedom, for good or ill.

The open, if somewhat predictable, denouement is an obvious set-up for a sequel, but I find that I am left hoping for some continuation of the story, some future revelation in the mould of the comic book staple “the origin story”. I just can’t see how similar camera styling can be used again for a prequel or sequel, however.

On a snowy Sunday morning, alone in a cinema with a cup of tea and a note pad, I can honestly say I am happy to have dared the roads for this movie. The mark of a good film is its ability to hold a viewer’s attention, and to leave us wanting more when the end credits arrive. Chronicle delivers on both of these and scores with clever cinematography, impressive yet unobtrusive effects and refreshing performance realism despite the fantastical tale.

Personally, I’d fly off for a nice holiday somewhere with no snow…

 Sir Nunnos rates this movie: 70%