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Cloverfield is in some ways a difficult film to review because it is, in all probability (this theory has not yet been tested), a one-time film. So much of its impact depends on its novelty value, which will clearly diminish greatly on repeat viewings, and many may not even see its appeal the first time round. But thankfully, for once, Cloverfield is a film that has merited the hype surrounding it. No film could live up to the internet hoopla that enveloped Cloverfield since that first mysterious trailer debuted in front of Transformers (bearing just the date of its US release, 01-18-08), but this is a film that makes a genuinely good stab at delivering on its early promise. It is a film about a giant monster attacking New York filmed entirely from the perspective of a handheld camcorder carried by one of the characters. Remarkably, thanks to a brief short-but-sweet running time of 85 minutes, the gimmick manages not to become irritating, although the inevitable rash of imitators will surely push it to breaking point and beyond.
Despite all the pre-release attention that Cloverfield received, and its sizeable $40 million opening weekend in the States, this is a relatively low-budget exercise. There are no stars to speak of, and not even any remotely recognisable faces, which works entirely to the film's advantage; we are not distracted by the fact that we're watching Tom Cruise run away from a giant monstrous menace. A problem with such an inexperienced cast could have been the standard of the acting - especially given the documentary style, which tends to make any artificiality all the more obvious - but on the whole they do an excellent job. The line delivery is quite natural and the movements look unstaged, for which the director as well as the actors deserve praise. Some may argue that the characters are unlikeable and, particularly in the case of the cameraman, annoying, but they do a good job of just coming across as regular people. These aren't archetypes who meet a grisly death in a predetermined and predictable order.
Given the low budget, a surprising amount of the big bad monster itself is shown, with several full, clear glimpses. Unfortunately this is where the film slightly stutters, although not due to the quality of the effects, which are very good throughout, but because the design of the creature is rather uninspiring. Understandably the makers wanted to distance themselves from the iconic visage of Godzilla but the end result on screen just looks like a mishmash of ill-formed ideas. Luckily it isn't a fatal flaw because a sense of menace is built up excellently with some superbly suspenseful sequences, and the addition of insectoid mini-monsters helps add some variety to the action.
The film can easily be picked apart by those who take the time to think about it. The logic and common sense of the characters is frequently questionable, while the actual catalyst for much of the film's events - one character wants to rescue his girlfriend trapped in the middle of Manhattan - is a sketchy and rather far-fetched one. However, considering the overall visceral experience that the film creates, its undeniable flaws are insignificant. After obligatory 15 minutes of (well done) build-up, Cloverfield provides a great adrenaline rush. Just savour it now while the whole gambit still feels fresh.
The summary
Cloverfield is not without its flaws, but those who buy into its central idea will encounter a breathlessly exciting thriller that's overflowing with energy.
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