Cloverfield, similar to the Blair Witch Project, is presented as ‘found footage’ that has been shot through the video camera of a teenager in New York City. I have to admit that despite my initial reservations and the nausea that set in five minutes into the film due to the earthquake-like camerawork, I was truly impressed.
One of the many things I got from watching this movie was a good chunk of perspective, something a lot of people could do with in modern society. Teenagers at a party worried about their appearance, the red spot on their nose, and not getting the sexual gratification they want in a moment. Soon after they are fighting for their lives.
A ‘thing’ ravages the city center causing a multitude of seismic activity that runs through the buildings from top to bottom of New York City: the first sign that something is wrong. Revelers flock to the roof to investigate and, rather dramatically, find the head of the Statue of Liberty bouncing down the street like an oversized green metal soccer ball, rolling to a stop a couple blocks away. distance.
As panic sets in, crowds swell in the streets and an air of desperation can be felt. What follows is footage of a small group of teenagers and their struggle to escape with their lives (and limbs) intact.
For those of you who prefer to make love over war, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a romantic twist to the story, one of teenage love and risking everything against all odds to save someone special.
The director, Matt Reeves, does an excellent job of developing the characters and their relationships on screen in such a way that as a viewer you can really empathize with the victims. The tension between scenes swings dramatically, lulling you into a false sense of security before dropping you back into the witches’ cauldron without warning.
Certain scenes are shot so cleverly that you’re on the edge of your seat with anxiety, especially for me as the group finds themselves cruising between collapsed buildings 300 feet above the New York skyline. Not being very good with heights, I had to convince my natural instincts that I wasn’t climbing into a death trap with them, and consequently my heart didn’t need to beat at a rate normally only achieved when a blonde Swedish passes by nearby.
I look forward, as I put my feet up with a nice cold beer in front of my flat screen and with the volume of the surround sound system almost turned up, on a Saturday night in the near future, I will enjoy this movie again. It’s amazing how much you can learn when you watch a movie more than once.
This is one to be seen guys its worth the money for your DVD collection too. However, as a prerequisite, I recommend motion sickness tablets!