Movie Review #2: Cloverfield
This summer, as Transformers exploded onto the summer movie scene, it was preceded by a mysterious preview trailer that depicted an explosion in the core of Manhattan, followed by the head of the Statue of Liberty tumbling down a city street. The preview included no title and no actors. It was just enough to grab the attention of the audience.
In the ensuing months, through the strategic release of just enough information to attract a following, and the equally strategic withholding of just enough information to create the hunger of anticipation, producer J.J. Abrams (”Alias”, “Lost”, “Mission Impossible III”) managed to lay the foundation for the first box office blockbuster of 2008.
Cloverfield tells the story of Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) a twenty-something New Yorker who is days away from a job transfer which will take him to Japan. Rob’s brother, Jason (Mike Vogel) and Jason’s girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) decide to throw a surprise party for him. Their friend, Hudson (T.J. Miller) is assigned the task of documenting the big evening on video – a task which he accepts only because it gives him an outlet to focus his lens upon Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), the object of his affections. The party is a rousing success until Beth (Odette Yustman), the love of Rob’s life, arrives with a date. Angry words are exchanged between the two and she leaves.
Shortly after Beth’s angry departure, an explosion rocks Manhattan and the city erupts into chaos. Uncertain at first what has taken place, Rob, Jason, Lily, Hud and Marlena take to the streets. They become aware that the city is being terrorized by a massive creature of uncertain origins, and follow the frenzied crowd who are attempting to escape the city by foot. When Rob receives a frantic phone call from Beth, who is alone, injured and trapped in her apartment, he decides that he cannot leave without her. He returns to the city, followed by the others, uncertain of her fate – or their own.
Filmed from the perspective of Hud’s handheld recorder, Cloverfield offers a “first-hand” account of the destruction of New York City by a Godzilla-like creature. The film is presented as a form of “amateur video”, and offers a continuous depiction of the evening’s events, with the exception of occasional snippets of Rob and Beth. The audience learns that Hud has accidentally taped over Rob’s footage of their last happy outing together.
Cloverfield has been lauded by many entertainment writers for its originality, and criticized by a few for its lack of it. While I would not say that Cloverfield is the most original film that I have ever seen, I would be lying if I said that I was not impressed by its visual spectacle as it exploded onscreen before my eyes.
This “documentary” style of filming is, of course, not new. Many of you may recall a little sleeper hit called, “The Blair Witch Project” which, although not the first film of the genre, was so successful (it made $248 million on a $22,000.00 budget) that it brought this type of filmmaking to the mainstream. Cloverfield owes its roots to The Blair Witch Project.
The filmmakers must also extend a nod of acknowledgment to the very real footage and images that were plucked from the videos and photographs of the September 11th attacks in New York. The blizzard of paper floating to the ground from nearby office buildings, the plume of smoke and dust rolling up the street as a building collapses, the pandemonium of the crowds, the fear of the survivors as they take refuge in open buildings. It is difficult not to watch these images without evoking a strong emotional response – a reaction which, I suspect, the filmmakers fully intended.
What distinguishes Cloverfield from the scores of other films of this genre, however, is its stunning visual effects. It is a film that was apparently made on a $30 million budget, yet its special effects rival that of some of the best $100 million blockbusters to hit theaters in recent memory. Director Matt Reeves (whose credits include the college drama “Felicity”), producer J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Drew Goddard (”Alias”, “Lost”) all deserve credit for their role in creating an overwhelming visual spectacle.
What also distinguishes Cloverfield from other special effects blockbusters is the fact that it succeeds absent a cast of “A-list” action stars. The decision to cast the film with a group of relatively unknown actors was a stroke of genius, as it added to the film’s realism. Although, on some level, the audience knows that they are watching a piece of fiction, the use of unfamiliar faces assists the audience in suspending its disbelief and contributes to the film’s impact.
Cloverfield is surprisingly short, with a running time of one hour and twenty minutes, yet it is not a film that seems short or leaves the audience unfulfilled. Its parental guidance rating may be a bit generous – this film is frightening at times, and includes its fair share of vivid scenes of gore. It is not a film that I would recommend for anyone under the age of thirteen (13).
Cloverfield is a film which offers its audience a bit of everything – romance, drama, horror and science fiction. While its premise and its presentation are far from groundbreaking, it is a film that takes some calculated risks, and succeeds marvelously. This is not a film that is likely to appeal to many over the age of thirty-five, but for the card-carrying members of the MySpace generation, it is well worth the price of admission. (8 out of 10)
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