08 February 2008

Cloverfield: a movie review

It is a rare occasion that I watch a movie without Googling the title and reading up on what critics have to say about it. Cloverfield is one such movie. I have seen the poster of the beheaded Statue of Liberty a couple of times as we pass by the mall, and wondered how it was related to the title. I haven't seen the trailer either. But yesterday, we got a chance to go home earlier than usual and so we had time to sneak in a movie before surrendering to the comfy confines of the pad.

Well, of the 4 movies currently showing, Cloverfield showed the most promise (based on the poster). Oh wait. A colleague said they watched it last weekend and they liked it. Hmmm... would you consider that a review?

Anyway, we rushed into the theater as it had already started and we missed a couple of reel minutes.

The movie is about a footage shot by a friend for a going-away party which turned to disaster because of trouble afoot which prompted the evacuation of Manhattan. First, there was a tremor which momentarily created a black-out. The news later revealed that an oil tanker capsized near the Statue of Liberty. Then another tremor shook the building. The next series of events depict what happened as they try to survive the unfolding crisis.

The movie reminded me of the Blair Witch Project. The story is told through the eyes of the video camera which faithfully recorded the group's story. The camera was found in an area designated as "Cloverfield Site US-447" (hence the title).

It also reminds me of War of the Planets and another movie which I would like you to guess if you have watched Cloverfield.

The film engages you to share in the suspense and the adventure. The feelings are real, making the scenario which is highly unlikely to be plausible. It was like watching something that did happen some time ago.

I like this movie and enjoyed it not because I'm sadistic, but because it was an emotional roller coaster. No boredom whatsoever, and makes you think and feel long after you have experienced the film. Watch it with friends and loved ones this weekend.

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:05 am

    It was an interesting film! Really scary because it looked so "real." I also liked that it wasn't all gore, there was still a lot of emotion and character build-ups.

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  2. Anonymous1:10 pm

    hmm.. this is the first positive review of cloverfield i've encountered. many (or at least 5 bloggers from all over) hated it, mostly bec of the hand-held camera effect.
    siguro if i was inthe film, the one who held the camera, mas ok. i take pride in having steady hands when holding such gadgets. hahaha!

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  3. Anonymous12:50 pm

    Will wait for that to be on DVD and will watch it on my home theatre. Recently watched a film called "Return with Honor" and it's pretty good. A character named "Corbin" I thought was very familiar, and as I was watching the movie, I kept saying, saw this "person" somewhere! Man, this guy looks like you, no kidding....
    Maybe you should get a tattoo on your head also and you will be twins. Watch it and let me know.
    Cheers...

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  4. Toni: Kakaiba di ba? I enjoyed it too!

    Cess: Meron raw mga tao sa ibang cinema na naka-experience ng vertigo / motion sickness because of the movie. Iba kasi ang approach nya. Instead of the disaster taking center stage, it's a group of people who would otherwise have been just anonymous background runnung around.

    Trublue: Return with Honor. Got it! Pogi ba yung Corbin kaya kamukha ko? hehe

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  5. You totally got the film. ;)

    I'm a big JJ Abrams fan, so anything connected to him, I'm curious about. While I didn't really hate Cloverfield, I didn't exactly fall in love with it either. It was just so-so for me. Lost is still his best work IMO.

    Here's a trivia on Cloverfield, there were little hints of it on Heroes (season 2) and some plot points / teasers were scatted all over the web before the movie opened in theaters. ;)

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  6. Anonymous8:08 am

    Corbin is good looking so you must be one too,hehehe. From start to finish, this flick is one of the best I've seen. Obviously, there were some domestic abuses but were not shown and applauded the director for that. Love the end part, although it was harrowing, my guess to who was gonna die was wrong. A must see film. Cheers!

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