The found-footage documentary. The Blair Witch Project made it a financial gold mine back in the late 90s, and today it is a method that has brought great success to such films as Cloverfield and the Paranormal Activity franchise.
But Chronicle isn't a horror film; at least not at first glance. Instead, the film successfully combines the elements of science fiction with an underlying sense of realism. And while the story itself does show promise, the path it takes doesn't always warrant your attention.
The film revolves around three guys. Whether they were good friends or not before 'the incident' I couldn't quite tell you. What I can say is that Andrew Detmer (played by Dane DeHaan) lives with an ailing mother and abusive father. His longing to escape leads him to capture his every moment on a newly purchased camcorder. It is through this lens that we witness his journey down a dark and gritty path once the trio uncover their powers. And in a world where there are no limits, anything is possible.
The best thing about Jay Alaimo's Chronicle is its perception to reality. Giving three high school students the 'gift' of telekinesis, Alaimo allows the story to reach a sense of believability. Sure the thought of anyone flying at will or playing football in the clouds is a bit absurd, but the way it is all presented makes you think twice before shelving the possibility.
But my big complaint with the film lies within its pace and background. While I'm willing to accept a slow beginning in order to fully understand the characters, I felt that we were exposed to both negatives here. Sure DeHaan's Andrew lives a rough life, and it is his camera that captures most of what we end up witnessing. But beyond that we are left quite clueless.
Why did Andrew decide to start documenting his life? Did he really not have a single friend in school? And what was the connection between his cousin Matt and popular athlete/class President hopeful Steve (played by Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan respectively)? These questions left much to be desired in terms of the film's story.
On top of that the action was a bit absent from the first 95% of the film. Granted the final few minutes features an interesting and highly entertaining sequence that saw the lives of many Seattle citizens reach an unfortunate end, but leading up to that we were left with a sluggish story that never seemed to fully create or resolve anything.
Sure there was some witty dialogue and surprisingly solid special effects, but I'm a male in my 20s who's attention span rivals that of a dog. I need some action to keep me engaged. Chronicle waited far too long to deliver.
