What a ride!

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2008)

The phrase "emotional roller-coaster" gets bandied about a bit, but Cloverfield is exactly that, in more ways than one. Yes, it's a monster movie (yay!) but it's also a lot more. A combination of hand-held camera work, emotional acting, realistic drama and a high sense of urgency means there is a massive connection between film and audience. I found myself, a few times, wanting to yell at the characters to "Run!" because the monster would get me if they didn't. This is not a feeling any other movie has given me. Usually, when there are big explosions and Monster VS Army battles, I want to watch because it's cool. In Cloverfield, the cameraman was one of the main characters, which meant that when there were action scenes I was willing the camera to turn around and not watch because it would mean he was (finally!) running away. I came out of the theater feeling as if I'd woken up from a dream where I was riding a washer on spin-cycle in the dark with spiders: dizzy, confused and wary of anything moving. And yet, I wanted to line up for the next ride. If you ever want to know what it's like to be a civilian caught in the middle of a war you know nothing about, watch this movie. Cloverfield is not just a movie, it's an experience and I heartily recommend going for the ride.