Chronicle

Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B Jordan and Ashley Hinsaw
Release Date: 2012-02-03 08:00:00
Quick Take: Tech friendly superheroes rock




Ever wished you had super powers so that you could kick the bullying boss’ arse? It’s a wonderful gift we all pray for. It’s an aspiration that makes you pose in front of our bedroom mirrors. It’s a dream that puts you to sleep on many a portentous nights. That dream comes true in Chronicle. For three high school kids who really don’t know what to do with their gift. One of them has a voyeuristic streak of chronicling his life on camera and that’s how the fascinating story of their discovery and struggle gets told.

Andrew (Dane DeHaan), Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B Jordon) are average high school guys with distinctly different personalities. One night they stumble upon a weird thing that gives them powers of telekinesis. If you’re a gamer you’d know that’s one of the best super abilities you can have. The three guys get their new powers but unlike Clark Kent or Peter Parker, they refrain from turning into crusaders of law and justice. Nor do they turn into maniacal geniuses out for world domination. They practise their newfound abilities at the local mall, at a talent show and generally doing fun and exciting things.

That’s the strength of Chronicle. It doesn’t feature the leading men turning into caped crusaders of vigilantes. They’re school kids so their efforts into using their powers are reserved for juvenile activities like playing pranks and gaining popularity at school. Of course they do have real world problems, which in turn create conflict in the story. By the end, the film does turn into a good versus bad saga, but it always remains the story of three supercharged friends.

The film’s greatest strength is the hand-held voyeur style camera work. Since the story is a chronicle of one of the protagonists it’s his camera that documents the whole situation. Watching a bunch of guys get the best of unsuspecting victims or fly in the sky around jetliners doesn’t seem like movie cliché simply because it’s presented in the handy cam format. For the average movie goer it might not seem like the best choice. But for a generation that calls YouTube its Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy this is as good as it gets.

If you’ve seen Cloverfield or if you’ve seen the new X-Men: First Class or even JJ Abrams’ recent Super 8, you’d be at home watching Chronicle. The film has some really powerful scenes and some kick ass action to boot. It’s a bit jaded in terms of story but the camera treatment and idea of guys having malevolent fun with power makes it worth a watch. Director Josh Trank can take a bow and so can his writer Max Landis, cinematographer Matthew Jensen and Dane DeHaan. This film is worth a 100 million hits and 10 million likes.