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People are gonna want to know... how it all went down , 14 October 2008
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Cloverfield
on DVD
(2008)
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan
Director: Matt Reeves
Certificate: 
I doubt there are many who have the joy of the internet that haven', at least once, come across the viral marketing of JJ Abrams latest beast (no pun intended). We all know that it was going to be some kind of monster movie and also it was all going to be shot on shaky handycam. However what I didn't expect is quite how good this film is.
Of late I've started wondering about what makes compulsive television. Americans are just so good at making TV and one evening, whilst thinking aloud to Filth, I felt I may have figured out what makes their stuff so much better than our dirge. The great shows seem to delve into the experience of everyday people trying to get on with their everyday problems and fears in their everyday lives to the backdrop of an epic or extreme situation. For example Battlestar Galactica is about people falling out with each other, distrusting their politicians, wanting better jobs etc etc whilst simultaneously being on the run from evil robots. Don't worry we're getting back to Cloverfield now.
Cloverfield does indeed feature a big monster destroying the city. However it's really about a close group of friends and their willingness to sacrifice all for each other. All the action is filmed from the point of view of lead character (rob)'s best mate Hud - a slow but kind type that is as likeable as he is dull witted but this adds a huge element to the story. This is Hud's view on the events and, because he feels his role as documenter of Rob's last night in New York (before he moves to Tokyo) empowers him, we can believe it isn't unlikely that his guy would carry a camera around throughout the crazyness. Yeah long sentence there - sorry.
Though in essence a silly, dumb, Godzilla flick the focus is on the humanity and not the giant monster thing and we empathise completely with the characters. We also care when people start dying.
It's not all great however and there are a few elements I'd like to have seen dealt with better or removed entirely. The little head hugger style monsters kinda ruin the charm through their obviousness as a plot device and, as discussed with Ward, the ending should have arrived five minutes before it actually did for a better finalé.
However these small gripes considered it's still a fantastic monster movie that, considering the shaky cam look, is surprisingly pretty and, even more surprising, very smart. Oh and to clear things up JJ Abrams didn't direct this - a TV director called Matt Reeves did. Thank God we can now forget the Matthew Broderick crap and enjoy a decent monster destroys the city flick. Now where's the giant armadillo dude...
 
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