From the legendary film makers of hits like E.T., Star Trek and Jaws comes a collaboration that evokes a mixture of thrills, chills, laughs and sympathy towards the group of misfits shown on-screen and their unbelievable adventure that sprang up from their passion for filmmaking. J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg present a project that is dear to their hearts and it definitely shows in all aspects of this film.
Joe has lost his mother in a steel mill accident just four months ago and is looking to lead a stable life again, trying to find a bridge between him and his father, who works as a deputy. It's summer break and he and his friends are trying to complete a short film for a film competition. He does the make-up and special effects for the production while his best friend Charles is the director and the others are either acting or make up the film crew. They decide to add an extra character to the plot in hopes of making the story more credible and better developed. They pick one of their schoolmates named Alice (Elle Fanning) to play the new character. Joe clearly has a crush on her but she only sees him as the deputy's kid, who will tell his dad about her driving without a license. That is until she discovers his talent for make-up and his many painted models. The gang is set to film a scene at a train station and everything is set to make the film a more sophisticated piece of work. That is until something quite bizarre happens. The train that passes them as they film the scene, violently derails from the tracks forcing the group to flee for their lives as they watch the area around them, transforming into a disaster film. Before the train was derailed, Joe noticed out of the corner of his eye that a car drove onto the track and collided with the train, which had caused the crash. They find the badly injured perpetrator and are scared out of their wits when he warns them to not tell anyone about what they have seen, in hopes of saving their lives as well as their parents' lives. During the next couple of days, a series of strange events occur. Dogs begin to run away from their homes, electrical appliances begin to disappear, car engines are ripped out of cars, and power lines vanish from their polls. The teenagers manage to recover their camera back from the site, but while viewing the footage, they discover that as a result of the crash, something deadly and mysterious has been unleashed into their town. Looking for answers, Joe and Alice are reprimanded by their fathers for spending time together, and strain their relationships with them even further once they deliberately disobey their orders. Will the group find the creature that is causing chaos int their town and resolve the problem in hopes of finishing their film, while Alice and Joe try to repair their somewhat non-existent relationship with their fathers? Or will it just be a matter of time before the eerie force from the unknown gets the best of them?
I am not a huge fan of the science fiction genre, but I sure enjoyed this one more than I would've imagined. Judging from the people who drove this vehicle, they clearly knew what they were going for and had a feeling that people would enjoy it if the plot had a little more than just a conspiracy theory and paranormal activity going on. Finding the right inclination for a film is never easy, but this one blended just the right amount of thrills and action to balance with the problems the characters were facing in their own lives. The characters Joe and Alice had great chemistry not only because they were somewhat smitten with each other, but also because they went through similar life experiences and had something to relate to in order for them to be bound together in spirit. I really enjoyed the subplot of the story that was ultimately the group's driving force behind all the inexplicable happenings in town. It was a treat to see a super 8 film being made by a such enthusiastic kids. It seems as though kids these days don't even have a splinter of imagination to go out and create something instead of playing video games. Abrams and Spielberg nailed the period of the film perfectly from the clothes to the music, and even managed to sneak in some pot usage. And I appreciate that the film's essence wasn't drowned out by perpetual explosions and mindless action. Gives people hope that action can still have purpose and meaning behind it for a pleasant, thought-provoking viewing experience.
The film brought out a great amount of symbolism and realism to the plate. First of all, it was great to see an eclectic group of people all striving for a goal in their life. Because people back in the 70's didn't really have any technologies like we have today, it was so much more necessary to invent and use your imagination to pass the time and find your calling in life. Kids these days are only interested in dating, the internet and video games; not really using their full potential to come up with something original or at least motivating for themselves. They are the misfits, who manage to work well together despite their differences and weird habits. It is an interpretation of working environments where everyone has their own story, skills and interests to add to the place.
The year 2011 in cinema was marked by an uprising of female leads that inspire the spirits of women all over the world to overcome their difficulties and be independent in their lives. Elle Fanning as Alice was another wonderful addition to this trend. Being the only girl taking part in the short film, she had the ability to stand up to the boys and be herself without putting on a charade to be more attractive or cool. She was just being herself and all the boys were in awe of her throughout the whole movie. This proves that girls out there don't need to be something that they're not to be part of a clique or group of friends; every bit of your mind and soul should evolve naturally without embellishments along the way unless that's how you really feel.
The film included a very touching and sentimental plot point about the loss of a parent and the struggles you live through with the ones that remain. I can definitely relate to that although one of my parents didn't necessarily die. Joe and his father's relationship was almost non-existent for most of their lives and this cataclysmic blow which took them by surprise, gave them the chance to make their relationship grow. That's why Joe could understand the creatures pain and that all he needed was their help. To help those who are alive, he had to let go of the person he lost. That is something that all of us need to learn, which doesn't mean the dead are forgotten. They live.
Super 8 captures our sense of creation and imagination. The short-lived escape from the somewhat complicated lives we lead can sometimes be expressed only through film, or experienced while watching one.
No comments:
Post a Comment