Review: Chronicle

(M) ****

Director: Josh Trank.

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B Jordan, Ashley Hinshaw, Michael Kelly.

MOST people have probably wondered what it would be like to have telekinesis. After all, the ability to move things with your mind has endless possibilities, would make life so much easier, and surely nothing could possibly go wrong. Right?

The old adage that with great power comes great responsibility gets a vigourous workout in this enthralling film that does to superhero movies what Cloverfield did to the massive-monster-smashes-city subgenre - finds a new and unique perspective in a well-worn formula.

Told through found footage (video shot by the main characters plus a few security cameras) it examines the fallout of three friends gaining telekinetic powers after an encounter with an otherworldly object found buried in the woods.

For close buddies Steve (Jordan) and Matt (Russell), the new-found gift is merely a toy for playing pranks on people or goofing around. But for Matt's troubled cousin Andrew (DeHaan) it represents so much more, including a doorway to the popularity, respect and friendship he has been unable to find.

While many view the found footage style of film-making gimmicky - just witness the all-or-nothing reviews for The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield and the Paranormal Activity series in the past - it seems right at home in Chronicle. The story is told predominantly from Andrew's point-of-view and given his psychological issues, home troubles and the festering ball of teenage angst burning inside him, it makes sense he would start documenting his life with a camera, creating a barrier between himself and the reality around him.

This kind of characterisation is something Chronicle does better than similarly shot films - Andrew is an intriguing and sympathetic teen and while his journey is utterly predictable, it's no less compelling to watch.

With excellent effects, naturalistic performances and a realistic approach to the oft-told superhero origin story, it works brilliantly. The film almost undoes itself towards the end by ramping up the action, drama and histrionics to over-the-top proportions, but it's not enough to spoil the show and neither is the surprisingly and distractingly elaborate camerawork we get from time to time. After being so drawn-out yet tense in its build-up towards the inevitable, you can forgive the film for indulging in a slightly steroidal conclusion.

Chronicle is an intelligent and fresh idea on paper that's executed superbly to suit its handheld approach.