Cloverfield
Directed by Matt Reeves
Produced by J.J. Abrams
Starring Michael Stahl-David, T.J. Miller, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas
Rated PG-13
Released date: Jan. 18, 2008

The night before Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is scheduled to leave for Japan, his friends throw him a going-away party at his apartment in downtown Manhattan. While his friend Hud (T.J. Miller) films the event with a hand-held camera, drama unfolds as Beth (Odette Yustman), with whom Rob spent one romantic day a month prior, arrives with a new guy on her arm. But before the social drama can fully unfold, something emerges from the ocean and begins destroying the city. As an emergency evacuation begins and the military begins to fight back, Rob and a few of his friends turn back in an effort to save Beth, all while Hud films.

If you go in to Cloverfield expecting a monster movie, you will be disappointed. In direct contrast to nearly every monster movie ever made, this film focuses on the “common” people, who are usually just background noise. This time, they are center stage, with the military and the monster being the background noise. Gone are the perfectly composed camera angles, scientists to provide exposition, and action heroes to save the day. If they’re around, you don’t see them in this movie.

What you do see is the story of regular people stepping up and acting heroic in a time of crisis. Given the extremely fictional setting, the film shows a surprisingly realistic look at humanity, save, perhaps, for the unnecessary comic relief.

Though he was working with a relatively unknown cast and director, producer J.J. Abrams’ influence is apparent throughout the film. Some of the major events of the film are only shown in brief glimpse or shadows, but Abrams made sure there were enough subtleties for people to understand what is happening, even if it is not shown. This will surely frustrate and annoy some people, but it is a trademark of Abrams that has garnered him a cult following. I personally enjoy cryptic movies that don’t spell everything out for the audience, and for that reason alone I found my experience with Cloverfield to be an enjoyable one. Though there are a lot of suspenseful and exciting moments, there are thankfully not a lot of twists. The plot has enough excitement without needing help from anymore tricks.

Whether or not the shaky hand-held camera and gonzo style filmmaking is innovative or gimmicky will likely be debated endlessly. Whether or not the imagery is meant to evoke memories of 9/11 or not is uncertain. Whether or not the ending is homage to the groundbreaking filmmaking of the Blair Witch Project or a blatant rip-off is anyone’s guess, as is how the film will be viewed in years to come. One thing is for sure, a first time viewing is an exciting ride. The film’s own secretive viral marketing may hurt the rewatch value however, as many might find the film less interesting and the flaws more annoying now that they finally know what the monster looks like.

And the flaws are evident, even on the enjoyable first run. The film is just short enough to avoid becoming tedious and repetitive. Even so, the early minutes begin to drag quickly. Fortunately, just when you might begin to think you’re watching an episode of The Hills, things take a major turn… for characters it is for the worse, but for the audience it is certainly for the better.

Despite fears that Cloverfield may not live up to the hype, I was still satisfied with the film and I think many people, especially those who enjoy the subtle nuances of creative filmmaking and Abram’s usual cryptic nature, will find it enjoyable as well. If you’re looking for the typical monster movie in all it’s glory however, watch something else, because Cloverfield is not for you.