Cloverfield

Cloverfield is unlike almost any movie you have seen before as it eschews traditional conventions, blaring soundtracks and gimmicky camera tricks and editing to become a raw, realistic and gut wrenching experience.

As we learn in the beginning of the movie, we are watching film footage found at the site of the former Central Park (an awesome tease), which was recovered by the U.S. Department of Defense to study the horrible events that unfolded there. It is video taken at a going away party on May 22 as Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), Lily (Jessica Lucas), Hud (T.J. Miller), Jason (Mike Vogel) and Beth (Odette Yustman) celebrated Rob’s (Michael Stahl-David) new job and his impending move to Japan.

During the party, they hear a commotion outside and the head of the Statue of Liberty comes flying onto their street (an iconic scene that will live next to the White House being blown up in ID4 or the Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes). Chaos and anarchy break out as people start to head for safety, but Rob wants to venture into the heart of the mayhem to rescue Beth, who left the party after fighting with Rob, but has made a desperate cell phone call for help.

Will they find Beth? Who will survive?

Cloverfield is an intense, daring, shocking movie that doesn’t try to be too smart. Writer Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves don’t try to come up with some sort of scientific explanation for the monster or why it is attacking New York. We don’t need that or even want it. Cloverfield is about people running for their lives and the horrors our heroes face at every step along the way, while also contrasting it with scenes from better days full of love and hope. Think of it as a modern day Godzilla movie presented in a provocative manner, but it’s not all about the monster.

I went in thinking Cloverfield’s success or failure hinged on what evil beast was behind it all, but I was wrong. Reeves and Goddard are smart not to get obsessed with the monster. The audience is treated to flashes of the its tentacles destroying bridges, glimpses of its tail as it turns the corner and dashes down another city street, and even frightening fleeting glances of its mouth roaring at us, all of which piques our interest and fires up our imaginations. Then, when we finally do get some good looks at it, the monster does not disappoint in its hideousness.

Additionally, Reeves picks the perfect moments when we don’t need dialogue, whether it is dramatic silence or the conversations muted due to the mayhem all around. This helps us focus on the personal drama playing out in front of us. Remember, Cloverfield is not just a monster movie. It’s about a group of friends trying to survive in an unfathomable situation, and the heroic efforts they undertake to save another. It all just happens to be caused by a wild monster. Goddard even throws in some comic relief, which helps alleviate some of the tension when needed, and helps make the characters more real.

Most of all, Cloverfield is one of those rare movies that captures the feelings and behaviors of the moment. Scenes in the movie are almost entire re-enactments of some of the horrible scenes we witnessed on September 11 in news footage of that horrible day (like one moment when our heroes dive into a grocery store to flee the dust of a falling building, and we can see the dust filling the streets and passing by the store window). People run around the city capturing images of the attack on their digital cameras and cell phones, as well as trying to document memories from their lives. Everyone worries it might be a terrorist attack, and learn more about the situation by watching TV reports. Years from now, viewers could learn a great deal about our society, fears and desires while watching Cloverfield.

I hope they make a 3-D version of Cloverfield!

Cloverfield is rated PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images