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Director Matt Reeves literally brings us along for the ride in this edge-of-your seat sci-fi,
horror thriller about a modern-day Godzilla type monster that is threatening downtown
Manhattan. We're introduced to a no-name cast of incredibly likeable, and believable characters
in scenes from their ordinary life that play out with a certain calm serenity to them that
beautifully book-ends the film. When disaster strikes during a party, we follow a small
group of survivors through the destruction of New York as they struggle to survive. Nearly
the entire film is shown through the perspective of an actual camera the characters bring with
them... with the audience essentially embodying the first-person point of view of it's operator.
It's a refreshingly courageous decision by Reeves which threatens to give the audience
vertigo or motion sickness if not executed correctly. Luckily though, the cinematography
here, as well as the music, visuals, sounds effects, and editing are all executed surprisingly
well - truly transporting the audience into the world of it's characters... resulting
in a dreadfully tense 85-minute thrill ride that never disappoints. A delightfully entertaining
experience, this movie is a great example of less is more, and where substance prevails
over style... the Cloverfield monster himself is heard more than seen, harkening back to
the dramatic techniques of Spielberg's "Jaws". Cloverfield, an "Exhilarating modern day monster
story."