There seems to be some inherent human fascination with sea monsters. Well, monsters of all sorts, really, but especially
sea monsters. It could be so because we don't really know what's down there, and truthfully, there's no way of really knowing.
And for some reason, sea monsters tend to freak us out the most. Or at least they used to; I mean, is there really anyone
out there who still cowers at the sight of Godzilla, or even Jaws? Granted you might not want to go swimming again, but I
don't think those old fashioned monster movies really scare anyone anymore. But THIS one.......
The
film is short by today's standards: just about an hour and a half, including credits, but it feels like it lasts much longer.
There's not much plot: monster attacks city, people freak out, main characters try to save a friend and then flee city. Simple
really, but the focus here is not on plot or characters, it's on trying to scare the hell out of you before you go home.
And it works. The characters are rather plain, not very likable and it's hard to bond with them. There is little development
but then, bearing in mind their fate.....but it's not as if you can't like them. The seem real, genuine, and while they do
stupid things at times (like going through a dark subway tunnel which is just about the most idiotic thing you could ever
do in a film like this) we can still like them a little because they aren't one sided or typical horror film characters.
They are complex, real people with real emotions. So when something happens to one or more of them, while we don't end up
sobbing in despair and loss, we feel a little hurt, because everyone else cares, and we liked them enough to care too. The
acting is good, nothing spectacular, but solid. The actors are good enough to take their respected characters and make them
seem real. No one seems out of place or over-the-top. It also helps that unknown actors were cast; it adds to the real feel
of the film.
Speaking of which, this film had the potential to be
very, very bad. And I think that, if it hadn't been shot the way it had (as a home video), there is a very good chance that
it would have been a bad film. But the style of it, the way it is shot, makes it seem real, even possible. We feel as if
we are almost there, or at least the attack had actually happened (I don't remember if I had the same feelings while watching
'Blair Witch' a few years ago or not). A disclaimer; the shaky camera isn't good for the stomach, although I was fine in
the beginning and started feeling sick towards the end (wasn't helped by the fact that I already wasn't feeling well that
day-don't go see this unless you are perfectly healthy). But there is relief! There are a few shots where the camera stays
steady for a good couple of minutes, allowing you to get your bearings before another shaky ride. All in all, though, I wouldn't
have the film done any other way. It definitely adds to the atmosphere and the mood, not to mention it makes it all the more
terrifying.
Lauds to the filmmakers for keeping our monster in the
dark for most of the film; the nighttime setting also makes things a lot scarier. The daytime at the film's end takes away
some of the creepiness from the film, particularly when you see the monster in close up (but did you really think that they
wouldn't show it?). You only get glimpses of the monster here and there, brief shots so you don't really know what it is
but you know it's something bad. You only get a good shot of it in the end, but even then you never really see the whole
thing (a'la my dearly departed kraken in 'Pirates 2'). This helps A LOT; keeping him under the radar makes him more scary.
This is something all the horror films nowadays can't get right: don't actually show the bad thing except maybe once; let
people figure it out for themselves. (Mr. Spielberg got this right in 'Jaws'; see also 'Alien', although with that thing
you really get a good look at it in the end, and it looks like a guy in a rubber suit. Fail.) Along those lines, much of
the violence is done in quick edits and left to the viewer's imagination so you get a very good idea of what is going on,
but you don't really know (again, super creepy; another thing modern horror films can't seem to get). But you see enough
to scare you senseless. The monster itself isn't what you think it is. No, trust me, it's not. It's hard to describe because
you never truly see the entire thing, but it does NOT resemble Godzilla or any other monster you might have seen. Interestingly
enough, it never really seemed evil to me; it wasn't there because it wanted to destroy New York and eat people; it was there
because it got lost and now it doesn't know where to go. It's not evil; it's just an animal that's just as scared of you
as you are of it. It actually avoids the marines and weapons used on it, unlike other movie monsters, and it doesn't really
go after them. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say you feel sorry for it; it's kind of like King Kong only less sympathetic:
it doens't mean any harm, it just wants to go home. You can't with good conscience hate it, exactly. All the same, it's
hard to look at it and say, 'Awwww, poor thing. Let it be!'. (according to Mr. Abrams, it's supposed to be a baby-??!!!).
Now those parasites, that's a different story. Those are there to really scare you, and it's only too easy to hate them.
You never really get a good look at them either, but they are much more evil than the big guy. Nasty. They're a nice tribute
to the 'Alien' franchise, a bit like the facehugger, and a similar fate waits those who get bitten by one of the parasites-you
swell up and then explode. Although there is no evidence that the parasites impregnate anyone when they bite them, thus causing
people to blow up, a'la the facehugger. But the same idea applies.
The
film is not really violent, exactly. As I mentioned before, much of the violence is suggested rather than shown. But enough
of it is shown, even if you don't really see it, and what violence is there is pretty intense: WARNING, COULD BE SPOILAGE:
the
fate of one character involves being eaten by the monster, and there are some nice sound affects of dying and crunching and
oozing and all that good stuff. It is also implied that same character is bitten in half, although you see him lying on the
ground via head shot, you don't see anything else.....there is also a grisly attack of the spider crab monsters on a group
of the characters, and one suffers some nasty bites. While only one person actually explodes on screen courtesy of a spider
crab bite, and even then it's shown in shadow behind a screen, you hear other people supposedly suffering the same fate and
the aftereffects of such a fate. There is also ample blood in one scene. But for you of the weak stomach, aside from the
camera on Speed, you should be ok.
Amidst all the horror and scariness
there are amazingly bits of humor thrown in, causing the audience to emit bursts of nervous laughter. There is a quip about
Superman, and flaming homeless guys, which is actually laugh out loud funny. How like human nature to try to ease pain and
fear by trying to be funny.
There are many questions here which
are left unanswered, and to the benefit of the film. We don't know what the monster is, from whence it came, why, why New
York, and just what happened to the city and the monster and the characters. Was the thing killed? (NOTE: MORE SPOILAGE
POSSIBLE: at the end of the credits comes a scratchy radio transmission which says 'Help us', but this is not actually what
you are to hear: the transmission is supposed to be played backwards, so says Mr. Abrams, and everyone else who made the film,
and what you are supposed to hear is 'It's still alive', which almost definitely states that the monster survived. But we
never really know....) Did everyone die? We never know. Which is good. The film never tries to explain anything, because
this is from the POV of a ordinary New Yorker, and see what he sees and we don't know what he doesn't know. A very good way
to end things, if also a bit annoying because who doesn't want answers?
I
am aware of all the conspiracy theories floating around online regarding the film, and all the viral marketing and 'Lost'
tie-ins, and attempts to explain things (such as Tagruato Corp., Slusho, underwater drilling...). And frankly, I find it
annoying, and find it takes away from the film. Why not just let it be? Why do we have to know? Yes I am curious. But
to really know everything would ruin the film and all of it's mystery. Especially if there is a connection to 'Lost', because
believe it or not, not everyone watches that show. I know. Shocking.
The
film does have one major flaw, aside from the more minor one of not giving us very likable characters. The first twenty minutes
or so are entirely at Rob's going away party, and while it tries to give us character development, it ultimately fails. It
gives us the characters, their backgrounds, their histories, but doesn't make us like them. The party drags on and it makes
you wonder just what is really going on. That said, it does establish a sense of false security, so when the first attack
comes, it jarrs you awake and puts you on edge, and keeps you there until the end of the film.
This
film could have been a B+ instead of A-, but allowing for stylish filming, a fresh idea, and a genuinely scary and smart film,
it balances out the little flaws. (another nitpicky flaw; what was with that orchestral score at the end of the credits?
That was totally unnecessary and ruined the whole spirit of the film! That was ridiculous.)
I
agree with Mr. Abrams. America needs it's own monster. Bigfoot doesn't count; Japan has Godzilla, Britain has zombies (not
really monsters but you get the idea). We had King Kong but really, he wasn't scary, was he? He just made you want to cry.
As Mr. Abrams said: 'adorable'. I don't think the 'Cloverfield' monster will be branded as America's monster, and I don't
think he'll become as iconic as his predecessors. But time will tell.
This
is one of those films that really needs to be seen in order to be believed. You can't quite describe it, not because it's
not deep or philosophical (I really don't see this as a film trying to put into perspective the times we live in post-9/11,
despite what even the filmmakers might see; I truly see this as a flat-out horror/monster film.) and it's so very different
than what you are used to. You can't imagine; it's genuine, real, not exactly campy but it never takes itself too seriously
either. It's raw and it's one hell of a ride. Aside from the fact that my stomach was twisting and turning almost the entire
time I could not tear my eyes from the screen. It's so intense. It's a complex film, and it's deliberately open ended.
This is not a film for the faint of heart or dull of mind.
p.s. I
find it extremely hard to believe that there won't be a sequel of some sort, or at least something to follow up this film.
Not exactly because it's left open ended and many questions, but because it's the type of film that you could continue along
other lines, in another way. It almost feels as it at times it channels H.P. Lovecraft, although the monster doesn't really
look like anything he created. But I can certainly see any follow-up films digging deeper into the Lovecraft mythos; indeed,
it seems as if this film (and maybe Mr. Abrams himself) has crafted its own mythos. We'll see where this goes; but it does
have a Lovecraftian feel to it, a'la 'Pirates 2', and we shall see what becomes of the film. Also, as per end credits, there
are still from old monster films like 'King Kong' and 'Beast from 20,000 Fathoms' inserted randomly into this film; I'm still
trying to find exactly where they are. I love the 'SpongeBob' clips; too clever.
Best
quote: 'I was just thinking how scary it would be if some flaming homeless guy came out of the dark right now!'
Best
moment: the first attack and the panic that follows; the camera cutting in and out helped too. Very freaky.
Worst
moment: trying to climb up 50 flight of stairs and then climbing over the roof of an apartment building to go get Beth. Not
really a bad part of the film, just a STUPID thing to do.
Why you should see it: it's AMAZING. Really. You have
no idea. You need to see this to really believe it. It's brilliant and fantastic and just eye-popping. Almost literally.
Why
you shouldn't see it: I'm afraid that some people might mistake this for a gore fest, or some typical horror film, or even
a genre changing revelation. It isn't any of these. And this is a very good thing. There is also the shaky camera thing;
if this bothers you I recommend renting this; despite the fact that you should see this in theaters and you SHOULD NOT for
ANY reason skip it and wait for DVD, if you suffer from an uneasy stomach, being in a dark theater with surround sound only
enhances the experience and sucks you in, making the tummy issue a big problem. Rent it if this sounds like you.
