"Cloverfield" *** 1\2 (out of ****)So far, one of the big "monster" hits of 2008 has been the sci-fi flick "Cloverfield". After endless Internet buzz and brilliant marketing the film was highly anticipated for months. Plot details were even hidden from the actors as allegedly no one knew what exactly they were auditioning for. I'm happy to say all the secret behavior and creativity on the part of the filmmaker and those involved paid off. "Cloverfield" is a near masterpiece.
We are set in modern day Manhattan. A going away party is being thrown for Rob (Michael Stahl-David) who is about to go to Japan to accept a vice-president position at his company. But, a few minutes past midnight something happens. New York City seems to be under attack by something or somebody.
Now Rob and some of his friends, including his brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), Hud (T.J. Miller), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) and Jason's girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas) must find a way out of Manhattan to safety. This is until it is revealed Rob's love, Beth (Odette Yustman) is trapped in her building where the monster has already attacked. She may be dead but Rob feels a certain obligation to go and rescue her.
The film is shot with a Panasonic hand-held camera, as one of the characters, Hud, films all of the events as they unfold. Claiming "people are going to want to see this". Many have claimed the jerky hand-held movements made them feel uneasy. Theaters received complaints that audience members felt dizzy afterwards.
There is a temptation to compare this filmming technique to "The Blair Witch Project". Both admittedly had brilliant marketing. If you remember "The Blair Witch Project" was being billed as a true story. The viewer was watching found footage. "Cloverfield" begins with a warning. This is government property. It was found in an area formerly known as "central park". But I would argue "Cloverfield" is a better movie then "Blair Witch". I didn't enjoy "The Blair Witch Project" I felt it was too much talking and little action. "Cloverfield" has more established characters and plenty of exciting visuals. Like the famous image of the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling in the middle on Manhattan.
There will be nay-sayers against the film. If this really was government property why would all the footage, including a half hour of Rob's going away party be kept? Would the government simply edit the tape and keep only the parts dealing with national security? How did the camera survive? If such events did happen, would someone actually film the whole thing and never put the camera down? And most importantly, how did this creature come to be?
Lets address the last question first because to be honest, the other questions do not have a right or wrong answer, they are debatable. It is true to film offers no explanation about the existence of the monster. But the film is not about the monster so much as it is about how these group of characters react to the monster. If this were a true story and people were running away from a giant monster would someone pause for a moment and ask themselves how did this happen? That would only be an after thought behind your first concern, which would be to run as fast as you can to safety, if of course, such a thing as "safety" exist.
I said the film is a near masterpiece. The last act of the film is where I felt slightly disappointed. The film goes on a little bit too long and had at least three separate occasions where it could have ended in a far more effective and dramatic way. Secondly I was disappointed to find out about the fate of Beth in her apartment. I would have preferred a different outcome which would have made more sense given the storyline. Still these complaints are not enough for me to not recommend the film. The film takes the viewer on an exciting ride. Many moments are quite gripping and nerve ending. You become involved with the characters and want to see the conclusion. While some might say "Cloverfield" is a gimmick movie, they are correct, but, when you have this much fun watching a film, does it matter?
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