Cloverfield - Movie Review
J.J. Abrams' New Monster Movie Lives Up To Hype
The mystery of Cloverfield is revealed in this fast-paced monster movie.
For those who have yet to see the movie, reading onward might ruin much of the experience. Cloverfield is, afterall, the sort of movie that's best to watch without knowing much detail beforehand. This is because the movie is meant to be experienced and not necessarily assessed artistically. Therefore, be warned. There may be some spoilers in this article.
In modern day New York city, several young adults plan a going away party for a friend who has accepted employment in Japan. The first 10% of the movie consists of nothing more than a typical party being documented by a hand-held camera. What makes Cloverfield unique to other monster movies is that for the first 20-30 minutes, this party is the story. Abrams refuses to jump into the action too soon. His patience forces the audience to immerse themselves in character dialogue which is not atypical of the common 25-30-year-old. Overall, there isn't a whole lot of character development in this movie, but this particular technique allows the viewer to be shocked by the sudden turn of events just as the characters are shocked.
The sense of realism in Cloverfield is hypnotic, and despite the annoying and frequent shaking of the camera, viewers soon find themselves clutching the arms of their seats and struggling to swallow. The movie is that intense. Watching it in the theater is a must.
What adds to the intrigue of Cloverfield are the subtle nuances that are left unexplained. For instance, there is a scene where a girl is pulled into a military tent. Something happens to the girl, but since the characters can't see what happened, the viewer isn't able to either. Since this is never explained, Abrams forces the audience to use their imaginations. One theory is that the person had something growing inside her, which would make sense since earlier in the movie there is a corpse that seems to have been ripped open and gutted. Nevertheless, the movie leaves itself open to a sequal, though it's still uncertain whether that's Abrams' intent.
There is much discrepancy over the movie's ending. Some find it too abrupt and inconclusive. Yet, with the goal of realism in mind, it could be argued that an ending of any other accord would be inappropriate and unfitting to the overall feel of the film. For this reason, it's hard to imagine an ending that wasn't abrupt. After all, a gift-wrapped, "feel good" ending surely would have cheapened the realism of the rest of the movie.
Ultimately, Cloverfield might not be a movie worth watching more than once or twice, but the first-time experience of this well-presented film isn't one to miss.
