Found-Footage Fanboy Film ‘Chronicle’ is Aimlessly Lost

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Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Chronicle,” which stars blah, blah and blah with a special appearance by blah (you wouldn’t know these unknowns any way), is the latest found-footage film to find itself lost, lacking purpose and devoid of a cohesive plot. This film’s fanboy ejaculate loves you short time as it spews the buildup of what could be interpreted as a “story” and ultimately ends without one.

We can forgivingly leave to moviemaking mystery how a few kids develop superhero telekinesis from a weakly scripted, inexplicable, underground rock formation from which our story never returns to explore. But we cannot excuse a story that lacks a true protagonist, antagonist and an overall plot in exchange for three kids simply running around aimlessly and experimenting with their newfound power.

During a fierce battle above the streets of Seattle, the telekinetically gifted Matt (Alex Russell)
has a close encounter with an airborne bus.
Image credit: CGFactory, 20th Century Fox

Even if you enjoy this special-effects joyride with a cast of new actors you won’t know, you’ll be hard pressed to think back lovingly about this film without questioning the point of it all. Dane DeHaan as Andrew Detmer, I suppose, emerges as the antagonist among three friends as he illogically climaxes the film by embracing a silly, messy and poorly inked dark side.

All the while, Alex Russell as Matt Garetty tries to stop Andrew’s bout of pointless rage and tie up the film’s loose ends by, you know, “using his power for good”. Michael B. Jordan as Steve Montgomery, who doesn’t play basketball and didn’t even talk to Andrew before he was joined with him through shared telekinesis, is the third-wheel friend. Steve’s role is to bring consequence and reality to the cloud nine these boys briefly float on – by dying the tragic death.

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) succumbs to his darker nature as his telekinetic powers become stronger.
Image credit: Alan Markfield, 20th Century Fox

“Chronicle” is the latest found-footage, shaky-camera fad film in a string of many prior to it including the wildly successful and profitable “Paranormal Activity” films (now four of them in total), 2010’s “The Last Exorcism,” 2008’s “Cloverfield” and 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project”. While this one’s more of an homage to the superhero fanboy, much of its footage comes from the character’s shaky cameras rather than the filmmaker himself.

Debut movie director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis – who’s done nothing of note – showcase their inexperience loudly and clearly. This entirely raw cast – coupled with a just-out-of-the-womb director and an uneven writer – take a glimmer of hope and extinguish it by failing on the follow through. While Trank manipulates his actors’ found footage from their own random musings into a director’s new context, the whole body of work ends up being half the story it needed.

Inside a cave, Matt (Alex Russell, left), Steve (Michael B. Jordan, middle) and Andrew (Dane DeHaan, right)
make a discovery that will change their lives.
Image credit: Alan Markfield, 20th Century Fox

This isn’t a documentary nor is it a compilation or stock-footage film. “Chronicle” truly does chronicle the experience of these three guys in a found-footage fashion, but their director and writer ultimately fail them by not sealing the whole deal. The film feels as if the character footage has more control over the filmmaker instead of the filmmaker successfully leading the charge with a clear vision.

Oftentimes films that flop feel too long. They receive widespread criticism because they drag and needed cutting in the editing room. This time, “Chronicle” is actually too short. The feature-length film clocks in at a mere 83 minutes and its missing 37 minutes are noticeably absent. Bringing it to two hours could have filled in many of its holes, tightened up its unevenness and built more of an emotional connection to these characters. Left to their own devices, they merely gobble around like headless chickens.

While you might recognize Michael Kelly (Andrew’s father, Richard) from “The Adjustment Bureau,” “Dawn of the Dead” or “The Sopranos,” Richard’s acute angst toward Andrew is unsubstantiated. Instead of convincingly building a story around the dysfunctional nature of this father/son relationship while the mother is dying of cancer, you don’t feel sorrow or pity for either of them. You just feel numb to their relationship because of its lacking reasons.

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) succumbs to his darker nature as his telekinetic powers become stronger.
Image credit: Alan Markfield, 20th Century Fox

As an actor, Dane DeHaan emerges as the one to watch. This isn’t merely because he’s given the most screen time or he’s the film’s primary whack job and source of tension. This kid could be the new Michael Cera. He’s got the geek thing down pat. He can play the innocent boy and the good guy. He tries to 180 into the nefarious villain and we see sparks of him going there. Next time, his devil will need to emerge much more reprehensible over his primary angel.

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But watch for him in a starring role in 2012’s “Jack and Diane” with Jena Malone and Juno Temple because he could have Hollywood legs. DeHaan will also appear in 2012’s “Wettest County” with Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Guy Pearce; 2012’s “The Place Beyond the Pines” with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Rose Byrne; and 2013’s “Kill Your Darlings” with Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen and Michael C. Hall.

By ADAM FENDELMAN Publisher HollywoodChicago.com adam@hollywoodchicago.com