Friday, 29 March 2024

Cloverfield offers intense action, thrills in tight timeframe

CLOVERFIELD (Rated PG-13)


That the action thriller “Cloverfield” is inspired by a famous Japanese monster is unmistakable on several fronts, particularly when the ugly creature turns out to be the size of skyscraper. The film’s producer J.J. Abrams conceived the idea of a new monster when he noticed a plethora of Godzilla-themed toys while on a publicity tour in Japan. It dawned on him that in America we don’t have a monster with an enduring cultural relevance. Indeed, he isn’t thinking of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. Simply put, we don’t have our own Godzilla-like beast that scares the daylights out of the populace.


Even with its relatively short running time, “Cloverfield” is milking suspense and tension from the same claustrophobic atmosphere achieved in “The Blair Witch Project.”


The film opens with official government documentation of a retrieved camcorder that chronicled the end of party time for a bunch of twentysomething Manhattan hipsters. Yes, this entire movie is shot by a handheld camera; the result is as unsteady as a partygoer who’s had one too many drinks.


The main character is Rob (Michael Stahl-David), if only because the party is being held in his honor as readies for an executive transfer to Japan and the early footage on the tape involves his morning-after a big date with Beth (Odette Yustman).


As the bon voyage party starts to gear up at a trendy SoHo loft, Rob’s good friend Hud (T.J. Miller) is assigned to document the event with a small video camera, a task for which he is uniquely unqualified.


Though he rarely gets on film, Hud is an amusing narrator of the party scene, especially as he focuses on pretty party organizer Lily (Jessica Lucas), and her boyfriend Jason (Mike Vogel), brother of the guest of honor.


Seeking to get on-camera testimonials from the party guests, Hud becomes so enamored of the indifferent Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) that he pesters her with constant questions. The party cranks up to full blast, consuming a good chunk of time while the audience nervously anticipates when all hell will break loose.


The prolonged party scene affords an opportunity to become aware of the central characters that will be forced to band together for mere survival. Beth arrives at the party with a new boyfriend, though it is readily apparent that Rob has a major crush on her and wants to recapture the magic they previously had.


The action kicks in suddenly and potently when the loft starts shaking as if a 7.5 earthquake is eerily unleashed in the Hudson River.


Partygoers rush to the rooftop only to be frightened witless by scenes of exploding buildings in lower Manhattan. Panic rules as everyone rushes haphazardly into the streets, and in a scene reminiscent of 9/11 there is billowing smoke and dust rolling through the streets.


When the head of the Statue of Liberty drops into the middle of a wide avenue, there is something afoot far more fearsome than just a few well-timed explosions.


Attempting the flee the city on foot across the Brooklyn Bridge, Rob, Jason, Lily, Marlena and Hud are suddenly pushed back to Manhattan when the monster wipes out the bridge. To heighten the tension, the monster is seen in only brief glimpses, resulting in a far more intimidating presence.


When the Army arrives with guns and tanks blazing, the monster becomes more fully realized as it sheds parasites the size of large dogs, which have a speedy crab-like crawl and viciously attack and destroy people.


Meanwhile, Rob is frantically trying to reach Beth by cell phone, only to discover that she’s trapped in her high-rise apartment building. Going against good sense and ignoring the evacuation plans of the Army, Rob insists that he will have to rescue Beth. His friends agree to the sheer folly of the mission, including climbing some 50-odd flights of stairs after being warned that a deadline has been set for the final destruction of Manhattan.


“Cloverfield” may pull more interest from the under-25 crowd, not just because the characters are young hipsters, but also for the “YouTube” style of filmmaking. Others may be less enamored of the home movie feeling that comes with unsteady camera work.


On many levels, the tight framing device of handheld photography heightens the terror and disturbing images attendant to the monster’s vicious destruction of the city.


DVD RELEASE UPDATE


You may recall “The Matador” as a quirky, enjoyable, oddball film about a hit man. Richard Shepard was the director responsible for that adventure, and now his latest foray into suspense and action is the DVD release of “The Hunting Party.”


Inspired by true events, this edgy thriller stars Richard Gere and Terrence Howard as vacationing journalists who try to get the scoop of a lifetime by embarking on a dangerous mission that takes them deep into hostile territory in search of a missing Bosnian war criminal.


Fast-paced and exciting, “The Hunting Party” is loosely based on an Esquire magazine article about journalists fronting as a CIA hit squad in one of Eastern Europe’s deadliest regions.


Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.


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