Chronicle poignant (with tech issue)

Chronicle unfurls from the perspective of cameras wielded in jittery fashion by its characters, an increasingly tiresome conceit that adds nothing to a film whose true ancestor is Carrie, not The Blair Witch Project. Three teenaged guys get zapped into unconsciousness by a mysterious entity and wake up with the ability to move objects with their minds. At first they’re happy playing telekinetic pranks, but soon the absolute power absolutely corrupts the troubled, socially awkward Andrew (Dane DeHaan), who lashes out in a violent rampage. The characters are refreshingly easy to care about, which means the action, including the blow-out climax, is balanced by a palpable sadness. Unfortunately, the bent logic required to keep a camera in a character’s hands at all times is a distraction that softens the movie’s impact.