CHRONICLE (2012)

Writer/director Josh Trank couldn’t have known his debut pic, a cautionary tale about three High School seniors who acquire, and then abuse, super powers, would boomerang into a cautionary tale for himself.*  A pity since, within limits, a lot of talent on display here. (High School ID advised though not mandatory for maximum enjoyment.) At a ‘rave,’ popular senior Michael B. Jordan, intellectual Alex Russell and nerdy cousin Dane DeHaan (carrying video camera*) spelunk into a mystery hole out back only to emerge with unexplained telekinetic powers. (That’s moving objects thru thought.) But what begins as amusing pranks & magic tricks soon accelerates into dangerous dabbling in real world events & felonies; three Sorcerer’s Apprentices without a sorcerer to corral immature teenage tendencies. The film has the usual problems of 25 yr-olds playing 12th graders, all echoing early Tom Cruise/Leo DiCaprio/Christian Slater to some degree. (Where’s John Cusack?) More troublesome, the film’s convenient reliance on video documentation (less cliché in 2012?), and in having Jordan’s top-trending teen spend so much time with a pair of campus also-rans. (Plus, cloud-surfing in a thunderstorm, even in emotional distress, hard to swallow.) Sill, it moves well, with Trank holding on to his nihilistic principles by losing his nihilistic principals. And thanks to a tidy budget, clean/impressive CGI set pieces that know when to stop.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *After CHRONICLE hit big at the box-office, Trank forgot the moral of his film: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility; blowing 10X the budget on FANTASTIC FOUR/’15 (not seen here) before disowning/badmouthing the pic after he’d lost creative control.   A clear case of ‘Franchise-icide,’ Hollywood’s ultimate sin.  Then a long wait before the recent, horribly received CAPONE/’20 (also not seen here).

DOUBLE-BILL: A treat for the DONNIE DARKO/’01 crowd . . . and speaking of careers, where has Richard Kelly, that film’s writer/director been for the last decade?

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *DeHaan also carrying sympathy overload: dying mother, violent/alcoholic dad, virgin; if he had a dog, someone would kick it.