cloverfield

For months, the hype surrounding the mysterious Cloverfield has led to all kinds of speculation. Finally, it is here, and oh how it was worth the wait.

Produced by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Armageddon) and directed by Matt Reeves (The Pallbearer) the film starts by building on the trailer's ambient ambiguity. After a brief, dark silence, the audience sees an ominous message that the video on-screen is the property of the United States government and that it is an artifact from site of the incident designated "Cloverfield," the area formerly known as Central Park.

The film then begins in earnest. It seems to be actual home video, complete with the shaky motion and low-quality resolution one would normally not find on the big screen. The camera records a going-away party for Rob Hawkins (Micheal Stahl-David), thrown by his brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and friends Lily (Jessica Lucas) and Hud (T.J. Miller). Also central to the story line are Rob's friends Beth (Odette Yustman) and Marlena (Lizzy Caplan).

Only minutes into the film, it is clear that this home video presentation is to be the sole format of the film, indicating at the very least the artistic commitment and determination of Abrams and Reeves. It is a gamble that pays off, as the audience briefly believes that nothing terrible will happen and that this is nothing more than a comedic home video like any other in our YouTube nation.

The illusion is shattered effectively as, in seconds, all hell breaks loose in Manhattan.

Amidst fireballs and the Statue of Liberty's decapitated head, this home video takes a horrifying turn as a creature only imaginable from the deepest of nightmares is suddenly and unequivocally real.

The struggle is on for survival, and the audience is there firsthand. It sees and knows everything the home video shows, no more and no less. Reeves deftly offers a masterstroke of presentation. While there are no explanations given for this terrible reality, there doesn't need to be. The audience is too caught up in trying to escape with Rob and his friends to concern itself with such logic. This focus is all that matters, and, in that, Cloverfield is a stunning success. While it might recall sci-fi classics like Alien, the first-person perspective makes it a unique and memorable addition to the genre.

Like most recent Hollywood blockbusters, the visual effects are spectacular, but this film has more depth. Ingeniously interspersed amongst the madness are both scenes of comedic relief provided in large part by Miller and Caplan and touching love depicted by two on-screen couples.