Too Real

            If I had telekinesis, the possibilities are limitless. However, the group of teenagers that attained this power thought otherwise. Chronicle is an interesting teenage drama mashed up with thrilling science fiction elements. The acting and filming style were the film’s strongest suits, while there were some problems with the plot and green screen.

            The movie was surprisingly “real.” The atmosphere and personalities derived from the actors can be found in multiple high schools around the country. The conversations, dialogues, interactions that occurred were the typical actions of High School students minus the addition of superpowers. The film showcased the talent of relatively new, raw, and talented actors such as Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan. Their convincing acting gave the audience a sense of reality to the teenage “drama” and interactions.

            The filming style seemed perfect for this movie. It also gave the film a grittier and darker feel to it. The hand held or “Blair Witch Project” style wasn’t too over done (thus leaving the audience nauseated) or under done (leaving the film unrealistic and boring). However, the fact that the camera zoomed bugged me even though it wasn’t done enough to be considered an issue. It’s supposed to zoom considering it’s a “hand-held” style. However, the debuting director, Josh Trank did a solid job of guiding the actors in giving a great performance, while filming the scenes with great precision and focus.

            The plot was solid, but there were two issues that keep bugging me. First, the main character’s family issues seemed like an understated part of the film. The film never went into detail on the mother’s illness nor did it explain the deteriorating relation between the main character and his father. Second, the cousin of the main character never really mentions the main character’s family life nor does he take interest despite the fact that they are relatives. Also, the cousin mysteriously disappears when the main character “falls’ into a dark side. There were also some issues when they were flying. Some scenes looked like it was obviously shot on green screen, but the fact that they were flying quickly distracted the audience from the mistake. However, most of these elements are ignored by a majority of the audience and dismissed by the rest.

            There’s not much to say about the movie besides the fact that it was very interesting.