Adolescence can be difficult, particularly when your mother is dying and your father is an abusive alcoholic. Give such a kid superpowers and things are likely to get messy.
Chronicle is the tale of three typical 17-year-old boys that stumble upon mysterious crystals that impart telekinetic powers to those in close proximity. (They can move stuff with their minds. Don’t ask us about the crystals, we don’t know either.) The rest of the film deals with how each of the boys cope with their new abilities. As expected, at first they play, with themselves and then with others. Quickly, this becomes a film about three very different lads, dealing with their own super-power temptations.
Relative newcomers to the big screen, Dane DeHann, (Andrew, the tortured soul,) Alex Russell, (Matt, the unusually wise teen philosopher) and Michael B. Jordan, (Steve, Mr. Popularity) are well cast, particularly DeHann, reminding us of a young, damaged Leonardo DiCaprio. Matt and Steve spend most of their time trying to reign in Andrew’s angry, reactionary outbursts. It’s not so much that Andrew is a bad guy. Don’t blame him for extracting a little revenge for being picked on all his life, at least, not until Andrew’s ugliness becomes dangerous on a scale of global infamy.
The list of summer movies releases reads like a who’s who of comic book heroes. Chronicle is a welcome shift of direction towards the responsibility of having power, rather than its mere exploitation. It’s dark, but it’s also fun. We say, “Watch it.”
Taylor: I liked this film. It held my interest throughout and although angst-ridden, didn’t disappoint.
Howe: Me too, however there were some flaws in the effects. But what do you expect from a movie that that takes on action in a documentary style. This is filmed in a similar fashion to the movie Cloverfield, which gives Chronicle the unique feel of being a fly on the wall.
Taylor: I don’t know that they needed to use that style, perhaps it added more of a sense of realism. I think, due to the overt use of cellphone cams, security cams and the like, the filmmakers wanted to make a statement about our tendencies to make programs of ourselves. I think the film could have worked as a normal narrative, with an invisible camera person.
Howe: Chronicle could easily have turned into a high school prank movie with powers being wielded for evil purposes and cheap thrills. The documentary style works in this film because it is serious, a testament to first time Director, Joshua Trank.
Taylor: Not to mention these narcissistic, telekinetic teens with delusions of grandeur use their powers to give us such smooth, floating shots.
Howe: Grab your popcorn, your fizzy pop and go enjoy this movie! You won’t be disappointed.
Taylor: Fizzy pop?
Taylor gives Chronicle 2.5 fits of rage out of 5. Howe gives 3 flying teenagers out of 5. The film is currently showing at the Pen-Mar Theatre.
Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are movie reviewers living in the Okanagan.