Tonight I saw a recent film called “Chronicle” directed
by Joshua Trank. It’s one of those
unexpected movies that suddenly become really popular hits even though it didn’t
have any overhyped superstar Hollywood celebrity cast members, publicity, and
all that paraphernalia. It was pure
story – and I loved it from start to finish.
It centers on Andrew, a high school senior
who is faced with such a hard life to cope with – poverty, a mother who’s very
ill, an abusive drunk of a father, bullying at school, isolation and
loneliness. The one person he could call
a friend is his cousin, Matt.
One day Matt forces him to go to a
party. Things don’t go well for Andrew
there and Steve, their popular classmate, approaches Andrew and urges him to
explore something that had been discovered in the woods. It turns out to be a cavern that leads deep underground,
tunneling into the earth. There Andrew,
Steve and Matt encounter something inexplicable – an alien object or
creature. Their contact with this object
causes the three of them to develop telekinetic powers. As they explore and experiment with their
newfound abilities, getting stronger and becoming more and more creative with
it, the friendship and camaraderie among the three friends grow as well. Things seem to be looking up for Andrew; he
has friends now, and he has power. But
it didn’t make anything easier for him and as his troubles continually plague and
overwhelm him, he feels all the more alone and desperate. Andrew starts to lose control and use his power
in a very destructive manner. He
succumbs to his despair and lets all Hell break loose in a seething rampage
that leads to the story’s inexorable tragic culmination.
I love how the film is entitled “Chronicle”
because the events unfold from the perspective of a number of different
cameras, but mostly Andrew’s own. You
see the story from a third party point of view; you are merely an observer,
chronicling the events of the developing drama.
In effect, the camera perspective becomes as much a barrier between you,
the audience, and Andrew’s world, as it was between Andrew and the harsh
realities of his world. It allowed him
to feel detached, isolated, and safe from all the cruelty and the loneliness.
Beautifully imagined and executed, this
film is definitely an amplified reflection of this, our world. This is what happens when people are pushed
too far – they break. It is a glaring
commentary on the truth around us – poverty, domestic abuse, bullying, and isolation. Once people become sunk in despair, they look
for something that they feel empowering and they let loose. Look around at the shooting rampages in
schools, bombs thrown around like so many cigarette stubs, massacres left and
right. This movie made me look hard, and
let me think about my actions, the actions of the people around me, and so much
more. I highly recommend this to
everyone. See it, think about it, and
maybe it will change everything, including yourself.
