Chronicle

Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan.
Written by: Max Landis (screenplay) Max Landis, Josh Trank (story).
Rated PG-13 for intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking.

I’ve never been thoroughly convinced that the found-footage genre has been a good thing for Hollywood. Instead of acting as a meaningful extension of the story, it’s typically employed as a cheap studio gimmick to minimize investment and maximize returns. Cloverfield is the only film in the genre that's really impressed me. Seeing it on the big screen is the closest a film has ever come to imitating the exhilaration of a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, it still suffers from many of the shortcomings that have always held the format from achieving greatness: poor shot composition, limited perspective, vomit-inducing shakiness and that lingering question in the back of everyone’s mind, “Why don’t they just put the camera down and run away?”

DiCap... I mean, DeHaan delivers a fierce performance.

Chronicle circumvents every single criticism levied at faux-documentaries by making it integral to the story’s impact. High-school senior, Andrew Detmer (played to unsettling perfection by Dane Dehaan), is defined by his camera. He documents his every move, preferring to view the world around him through a window rather than dealing with the defects of his life head-on. His mother is slowly being eaten away by cancer. His father, an alcoholic, abuses him. He chronicles his interactions with them as a means to help him cope with the toll that it’s taken on his well-being.

The only person that Andrew speaks to is his cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), a self-proclaimed philosopher. He does his best to improve Andrew’s morale but he rarely prevails. It’s evident that their relationship doesn't really exist outside of Matt giving Andrew a ride to school – a place where he eats lunch alone and is bullied mercilessly. Carrying a bulky camera around on his shoulder doesn't help matters.

Experiencing the world from Andrew’s perspective is enthralling and never feels less than real, which is key to what prevents the film’s biggest conceit from falling apart. Eventually Andrew and Matt, accompanied by fellow classmate Steve (Michael B. Jordan), stumble upon a supernatural phenomenon and develop telekinetic powers. What could have been a jarring transition ends up feeling very natural because of how grounded the characters are. The illusion of reality is never once broken (except those LEGOs looked pretty fake.)

Chronicle is more than an absorbing character study, it’s an inventive take on the superhero genre because writer, Max Landis (son of John), drops the word “hero” from his vocabulary altogether. The boys here harbor no guilt for their newfound abilities, and do not insist on using their powers for good. They do what any average teenager would do: they wreak innocent havoc in the name of fun.

The three "afflicted" young men begin to develop a tight bond with one another. (So close, in fact, that when one is in trouble, the others are signaled with a nosebleed.) Andrew’s new-found companions and developing abilities act as a catalyst for his changing demeanor. His camera is no longer a scapegoat for his insecurities. Why hide behind a camera when you can levitate it? (which works wonders for composition, by the way). He trains his lens on himself and his friends, fascinated by the gifts that they've inexplicably received. He routinely pores over the footage for clues on how to unlock their true potential.

Josh Trank, in his directorial debut, has solidified himself as a filmmaker to keep an eye on. He excels at making intimate moments feel grand and is obviously very good at making his actors feel comfortable with one another. The three leads are having a blast and their interactions are a lot of fun to be a part of. For those of us who have seen the previews, it’s no surprise when Chronicle's more sinister undertones are unearthed. The shock is in how much you care about the severe repercussions of their ever-expanding powers.

To explain what I mean without spoilers, Chronicle is best viewed as an allegory for the dangers of teenage repression and isolation. I’m sure that many people will be able to identify with some of the struggles that our “heroes” have to endure; which is great because, ultimately, it cautions kids by showing them exactly what happens when you forgo the responsibility that comes with such great power. It also just happens to be a fun slice of pop cinema: the kind of film that can only exist when a studio takes a chance on new talent and unconventional themes.

At one point, Andrew identifies himself as the apex predator, calling his seat at the top of the food chain. In a way, I think that’s the perfect way to describe Chronicle. It is the apex of the found footage genre. The only complaint that I could possibly impose on an otherwise brilliant film is that the climax feels a bit bigger than the film that it’s in. In keeping with the found footage look we hop from various recording devices -- ranging from cell phones to security cameras -- to frame the action. Unfortunately, it ends up undermining the otherwise powerful conclusion with unnecessary choppiness (and in some cases, seems to abandon the shooting style altogether.) However, this small distraction doesn't prevent Chronicle from taking its seat on the throne as king of the genre.

4.5 out of 5

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist.
Written by: Josh Appelbaum,  Andre Nemec (Screenplay), Bruce Geller (TV series).
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence.

I grew up on action movies. As a child with a hyper-active imagination, the intricacies of plot and acting didn’t matter much to me. I was just there to see the every-man action hero prevail over the seemingly insurmountable evil that stood before him. I craved fistfights, explosions, and one-liners, but most of all, I wanted to live through these icons and believe that I too was capable of something extraordinary.

"Did I leave the stove on?"

Regrettably, these films are an endangered species. Sure, we’ve got a superhero for every color of the rainbow now but it’s not always easy to relate to the tribulations of genius billionaires (both bat-clad and iron-suited alike) and adolescent web-heads, especially when their adventures rely so heavily on whimsical powers, supernatural villains and special effects.

Enter Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, a refreshingly old-school action flick whose sole goal is to dazzle its audience, not through CG wizardry but through the humanity of its stars (and the insanity of Tom Cruise.) The tension is relentless, the set-pieces are thrilling, and the team dynamic among Cruise and his cohorts is compelling enough to make-up for the film’s lack of a memorable villain.

The story’s simplicity is mind-boggling: Dude's got nuclear launch codes. Stop dude with nuclear launch codes. That’s it. Oh, and then there’s Ghost Protocol: that ominous fine print that reads something like, “Should your mission be compromised, the government will disavow any knowledge of your existence.” You’ve probably heard something to that effect in numerous spy films before, but here the plot device is actually put into motion and brilliantly ups the stakes for our heroes by leaving them without back-up.

The Cruise Crew

Ethan Hunt (Cruise), the man that redefines the term “impossible,” is back with a team comprised of: the butt-kicking babe, Jane (Paula Patton), the wise-cracking hacker, Benji (Simon Pegg) and the unwitting “analyst,” Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Pay no heed to my back-of-the-box descriptions of these characters. They all defy the pitfalls of action-film clichés by being fully-developed people with conflicting feelings regarding the extreme situation they’ve been put in. Each one is personally invested in the mission beyond the world-ending consequences should they fail.

Unfortunately this attention to detail also makes it glaringly obvious that the antagonist, Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), is as flat and docile as his name might imply. Arguably, the villain should be the most interesting character in an action film. The hero can be excused for lacking a defined personality because he/she acts as the avatar for the audience. The bad guy, however, should always act as the good guy’s MacGuffin -- driving them indefatigably towards their goal -- by taking a unique stance against something that is universally accepted as “good.”

A truly great villain can even evoke sympathy towards their plight by truly believing their actions are to the benefit of mankind. This is something that is hinted at throughout the film but, ultimately, it doesn't work. Hendricks harbors none of the characteristics of a great nemesis. He lacks menace. And his rationale for why he wants to destroy the world is never elaborated further than “life needs to start over sometimes.” It’s incredibly frustrating to see such a provocative philosophy go to waste in an otherwise top-notch thrill-ride.

See what I mean?

Though I will admit, said thrills do almost make up for this oversight. Director Brad Bird (making an undeniably impressive live-action debut) has streamlined the Mission: Impossible franchise into a breathless adrenaline generator; able to turn even the simplest of tasks -- such as hopping onto a meandering train cart -- into an opportunity to keep the viewer on edge. Bird and co. hop from set piece to set piece at a dizzying pace and compromises nothing in the process. There are at least three scenes here that rival the best that similar films have to offer.

The high point of high points is the much-hyped Burj Khalifa climb, where Cruise clambers up the side of the world’s tallest building. You might want to bring an inhaler, because it’s every bit as asthma-inducing as the ads will have you believe. The vertigo-afflicted among us have been warned.

Renner has exceptional balance

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is so much fun that it forced the kid in me to claw his way to the surface. I can imagine myself reenacting the insanity onscreen by climbing up trees, chasing down neighborhood kids on bicycles and fighting for an object that will “save the world.” For me, that’s the best praise I can give an action film. Sure, the plot isn’t anything original. And maybe the villain doesn’t live up to the standards set by the likes of Hans Gruber and the Terminator, but when you have a movie as expertly made as this, it doesn’t matter. Ghost Protocol ranks among the classics of the genre and is easily the best film in the M:I franchise

4.5 out of 5