It’s called “Cloverfield” and is about a gigantic space monster that comes down to earth in order to invade New York. So far everything seems reasonable, but after that things evolve into a rather confusing concept.
The beginning is annoying enough. A guy is roaming around filming his mates and making everyone on a party wish a guy called Rob good luck on his trip to Japan (or China). This goes on for something that feels like a lifetime. We get a few nuggets of important info here though, cos we get to find out that a while back, about a month ago, Rob – the guy leaving for Japan (or China) – for one reason or another, had a one night stand which some chick named Beth. And now seeing Beth causally chatting to another guy at a party, Rob suddenly feels a bit jealous, and ends up sarcastically telling the guy “good luck” before going off to the kitchen to sulk for a bit.
Whatever.
Then stuff happens. A gigantic alien attacks the city and everyone is fleeing like mice. That’s what you do in a situation like that. The alien is bigger than several skyscrapers together, so it’s only normal to try to avoid it. The whole population of the city is running over the bridges and through the tunnels in order to get off Manhattan and so are our friends from the party. So far.
When on the bridge, Rob calls Beth and finds out she’s stuck, hurt, in her flat, which is located right where the alien is. He decides he has got to go back to save her.
While he is explaining this to his friends, the monster destroys the bridge and kills Robs brother in front of his eyes. This doesn’t really face Rob much. He acknowledges that this was a shame, but the important thing to focus on here is to go and get Beth, so that he can get laid again.
Why doesn’t some responsible person go up to Rob and slap him in the face and possibly shake him about a little bit?
But the thing is, I would probably have been able to accept this whole scenario – Rob being love struck enough to risk his life – if it wasn’t for the fact that suddenly all his mates were ALSO going off on the Saving Beth mission!
I mean, maybe I’m not being clear here… Everyone is being evacuated. The military shouts at everyone to let them know that if they turn back, they WILL get killed. (I'm not sure why though, cos it's bloody obvious..) And then also, you've got Robs brother, who just died in front of their eyes.
The weirdest part of all is that a girl, Marlena, who had also been to the party, agrees to come with them as well! She didn’t even know anyone there and was supposed to meet her own friends later. But suddenly, caught up in the moment, she also feels the necessity to go and save Beth!
If you were Marlena, and you got asked whether you’d pop along to get killed for a girl you’d never met I think you’d be excused for asking:
"Who the F-K is Beth?!??”
At one point, sitting in the subway, hearing the alien clomp around on top of them, Robs friend is asking her:
-“This must be quite tough for you. I mean you were gonna meet your own friends, weren’t you?”
-“Yeah…”
-“And you don’t know if they’re all right..”
-“No. But…”
But what exactly? BUT WHAT? They don’t matter cos you’ve got to go save a girl named Beth?? Get a grip, woman! You’re being delirious!!
But off they go. After a while they get attacked by a bunch of mini aliens that the big one had brought along with him (I just take it it’s a “he”. If it turns out it wasn’t, well, then I’ll apologize), and Marlena gets hurt pretty badly. But she doesn’t give up.
-“Let’s go get Beth”, she croaks bravely.
After a while they find some other survivors in a shopping mall, where the military had set up an emergency hospital (with dying people everywhere), from where they are evacuating them in helicopters.
Oh, but come on, that’s happy days, isn’t it! Good times! You were faced with a certain and horrifying death, and suddenly, when it looked as if there was no hope in hell, you get the opportunity to get rescued – all of you – and get reunited with your families and friends!!
-“No, thanks but…we can’t accept. We have to go on.. We have to save Beth!”
The military dudes (rightfully) shout their heads off at them, but Rob is firm. Even when he finds out that the whole of Manhattan is going to be nuked in about an hour, he stands by his word – and so does the rest of them. Even when Marlena suddenly starts bleeding from her eyes and dies right there and then (from the extraterrestrial bite)!
-“Wow, that was weird, man! She died, just like that!”
-“Yeah, but there’s nothing you could have done for her Rob. You’ve got to let it go. Let’s focus on getting Beth…!”
There’s nothing he could have DONE!??
Oh, I’m sorry, I thought she died cos she was trying to save your bloody girlfriend – that she didn’t even KNOW!
So they go on, ignoring the rescue they had just been offered, and after a while manages to get – to Beth.
-“Wow, you came”, she sobs, looking into Robs eyes.
-“Of course I did, babe!”
I can’t help but to wonder why noone stepped up, raising a hand going:
-“Ummm…yeah, he came and oddly enough - so DID WE!!! For no apparent reason, Beth! We’re here to save you too, Beth! We’re all risking our lives for you and Marlena, a name you probably don’t recognize, cos you’ve never met, just died. Because of you, Beth. Because of you! Oh, guess what – I am about to die as well, in about…8-10 minutes from now, it’s just that we don’t know that yet. And that is also because of you. Oh, and actually, Beth, you and Rob are also gonna die, just after me. But hey it was worth it. I mean, anytime Beth, really, just say…”
Don’t get me wrong. It’s admirable to help people! But they could have helped hundreds if they stayed by the bridges and started to get people out of the nearby houses or something! And then, as a bonus, they would even be alive themselves in the end!
And I’m a bit disappointed that noone, after having saved Beth, and they were all trying to get off the island, said:
-“Hang on here now, what…where are going? What are we doing? It almost seems like we’re trying to escape!”
-“Yeah, we’ve got her! We’ve got Beth! The mission is accomplished!”
- Err…no, Rob, now we’re off to save my cousin! And my cat! I thought that was the deal here? All for one – one for all? You’re not…betraying me here, Rob??”
I really would have loved to know how Rob would have reacted to that!
Yesterday, me and Esther went to the cinema and ended up chatting about this particular movie. And without me mentioning anything of the above she said:
-“But what I just don’t understand is why they ran after this girl in the first place! All these people… Some didn’t even know her!”
Exactly - THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
But all in all, it was a pretty good movie. I really liked it actually! You should see it!
(You should hear me criticising a movie that I don’t like…:-D)
I almost saw this movie when I was on the plane to New York, but was tired and switched it off before any of action came about. It was too bad, really, because it could have given a pretty dramatic edge to the whole trip. Add a bit of trauma. I like adventures…
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