Cloverfield
Title: Cloverfield
Tagline: Some thing has found us
Genre: Action / Science Fiction
Starring: Lizzie Caplan, Michael Stahl-David, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller
IMDB: Cloverfield
Rating: 
Ok, critics be damned, this was a pretty good movie. Yes, sure, it has caused me a rather nasty headache which I assume will be staying with me tomorrow as well, but still. Good movie.
The movie begins with a going away party for one of the main characters, Rob, who is moving to Japan. One of his friends, Hud, is in charge of taping the entire party so that Rob can watch his friends on video whenever he wants to. During the party, Rob has a falling out with his friend with a one-time benefit whom he actually kinda loves, Beth, and she leaves while they are both mad at each other.
Suddenly there is an earthquake, or so they believe to begin with. After a while it becomes “clear” that a monster has arrived in New York and is rampaging through Manhattan. While trying to leave the area and get to someplace safe, Rob gets a call from Beth, saying she is trapped in her apartment and badly injured. He and his friends go on a rescue mission, despite the fact that they will be heading towards the chaos, not away from it.
The entire movie is shot with a hand-held camera - we see everything through the eyes of Hud as he documents the happenings. I think this is why the movie is so intense - there are no awesome panoramic sweeps, no teary closeups. It focuses solely on what goes on around the group of friends. It had me thinking a lot about what I would do in such a situation. Would I be able to leave my family and loved ones? Would I run, or would I stay and help, however little I would be able to help?
It is not the most amazing of movies, but it is definitely worth the watch. If you get headaches easily, closing your eyes every now and then might help, it did for me. It is also interesting to note that there is no music during the entire movie, no soundtrack at all. I didn’t notice this during the movie at all, but it makes the end credits theme hit you harder. The ending was pretty open, leaving room for the sequel that I understand is planned for release in 2009. I know I’ll be going to see it!
Also, how many times have I not told people that there are monsters in the deep trenches of the ocean? THEY ARE THERE.
“Look, all I’m saying is that this thing coulda have come from anywhere! It could have come from outer space!” - Hud
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