Cloverfield (2008)

Cloverfield (2008)

Cinerama, Seattle, WA

January 19, 2008

*** / ****

by Scott Muoio

At last, IT has arrived! And surprisingly, Cloverfield actually is the pinnacle of self-broadcast documentarian feature films in our modern age. The Blair Witch Project may have kick started the self-broadcast everyman as documentarian phenomenon (or “making something out of nothing,” as I like to call it), and MySpace and Facebook may have brought that revolution to the masses, but Cloverfield gives the idea a 30 million dollar budget, oodles of superstar special effects flourishes, and slams it face first into the big screen, kicking ass, taking names, and blowing ear drums in the process. Gimmicky, by-the-numbers well-crafted, providing shock and thrills without answering a single question, and pandering to the self-absorbed, attention deficit crowd, Matt Reeves’ Dolby surround sound, monster a-go-go explosion-fest is like The Ultimate Fighting Championship meets Godzilla meets a random teenage Blogger account all wrapped in that unmistakable 21^st century sheen. And you know, it ain’t half bad.

Things start off Blair Witch from the get-go. Presented as a piece of official government documentation regarding the destruction of New York City, our film-going experience is that of a boardroom witness to this supposed evidence. After the requisite introductory silliness, we are immediately treated to the sights of beautiful young people at a going away party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), staged at a swanky Manhattan apartment. We meet the young, beautiful players, learn a bit about their stories, and just when the he-said/she-said I love you antics reach their zenith, tremors and explosions conveniently take Manhattan by storm, ending the party and setting in motion the requisite love story, a monster rampage, and a special-effects extravaganza that is probably the best depiction of the destruction of New York City that I have ever witnessed. The whole shebang is pretty basic, for certain, yet surprisingly very entertaining as well.

The many check points the film runs through to explain its tale are steeped in classic monster movie clichés, and the plot itself not much different than most other films of this ilk. Yet Cloverfield separates itself from the pack by making its obvious stops along the way to its conclusion thrilling, well-filmed, and at their best, very, very frightening. The visual and audio effects look real and sound menacing, adding an heir of authenticity to the proceedings. Likewise, all the young actors do a fine job reacting to the horrific pandemonium and quieter moments within the storm (even when most are probably slapped onto a green screen in post-production). Zoey Deschanel look-a-like Lizzy Caplan, in particular, pulls off that typical too-cool-for-you NYC thang in a surprisingly heart warming manner. A lesser cast and sloppy special effects could have easily sunk this picture before it began, but as it stands they prove essential to its success.

The movie provides its biggest rush, however, in its simplest gimmick: telling its story through a hand-held camcorder. By using Hud (T.J. Miller), the goofy, dunderheaded, typically self-absorbed product of the new millennium as its narrator, we are treated to a guiding voice that is as effective in its own way as Nick Carraway was in the classic novel, The Great Gatsby. It may seem crazy to compare something like Cloverfield to an all-time great novel, but sometimes a simple shift in who is telling the story and how, coupled with a good basic tale and professional craftsmanship, can make something average become much more than that. Cloverfield succeeds because it is smart with its clichés, clever with its gimmicks, and adheres to a tried and true formula for monster mayhem that seems fresh even if it is older than the actors who contribute. You needn’t always be new and complex to be effective, sometimes clever embellishments and a good gimmick can do the job just fine.

Cloverfield isn’t a terrific film, but compared to most action blockbusters that fill our megaplexes year after year, it is a very good one. We tend to expect something more from our films these days and in its own way Cloverfield delivers to our expectations with humour, craftsmanship, and a whole lot of Bang! Pow! Kaboom! excitement. I would have enjoyed a cooler, more original monster, and particularly a more elaborate or clever meaning behind the film’s title, but I suppose you can’t have everything. As is, I was more than satiated and even a little surprised with the final product that is Cloverfield, surely the best monster destruction movie to come along in quite some time.