Reviews
Why Looper is my favourite and the most important film of the year
Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Thriller, Action, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 119 mins
Rian Johnson is an utterly original filmmaker. From budget neo-noir debut Brick to sophomore con-man effort The Brothers Bloom, he never rests on his laurels. "Adaptation is not something that's ever really appealed" to Johnson and that shows in the inventive concept of his latest film Looper. As a sci-fi genre installment it was always unlikely to get any Oscar attention, but Looper is arguably the most thematically ambitious film of the year as Johnson really does pull out all the stops.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a hired executioner for gangsters in the future who send bodies back in time to be illicitly disposed of. When he's faced with the prospect of killing his future self (Bruce Willis) in order to 'close his loop' though, he panics and loses his nerve. It's great to see how far JGL has come since 2005's Brick, as the totally convincing hero whilst embodying the uncompromising and selfish nature of his profession. Taking on Willis's mannerisms without it being distracting or mere mimicry, this cements his status as a Hollywood leading man who people will flock to the cinema to see. Willis has passed the baton.
The blurring of the lines between hero and villain is also masterful from Johnson, as the motivations behind Old Joe's struggle are understandable but the shocking lengths that he is willing to go to are unforgivable. Emily Blunt, who only enters the film at about the half way mark, is excellent in having to personify the conflicting emotions of distrust, aggression, terror and frustration simultaneously.
Johnson has answered endless questions about the time-travel elements of Looper in lengthy Q&As. Old Joe's avoidance of its mechanics is not lazy avoidance but an effort by the writer to avoid being bogged down by Inception-style exposition. This allows the taut narrative to progress quickly to what is easily the best climax of the year. Not since Se7en has a filmed packed such a potent punch in its final moments.
The real importance of this film though, is that it represents a big victory for the smart, original blockbuster. 2012 saw the rejection of dumb, disposable action flicks like Battleship and the success (both financially and critically) of movies like Looper and The Avengers. Hopefully this signifies a shift away from the Michael Bays of Hollywood to talented writer/directors like Johnson, Whedon and Christopher Nolan being allowed to put their vivid, unique stories onto a larger canvas and push the boundaries of the stagnant action genre.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a hired executioner for gangsters in the future who send bodies back in time to be illicitly disposed of. When he's faced with the prospect of killing his future self (Bruce Willis) in order to 'close his loop' though, he panics and loses his nerve. It's great to see how far JGL has come since 2005's Brick, as the totally convincing hero whilst embodying the uncompromising and selfish nature of his profession. Taking on Willis's mannerisms without it being distracting or mere mimicry, this cements his status as a Hollywood leading man who people will flock to the cinema to see. Willis has passed the baton.
The blurring of the lines between hero and villain is also masterful from Johnson, as the motivations behind Old Joe's struggle are understandable but the shocking lengths that he is willing to go to are unforgivable. Emily Blunt, who only enters the film at about the half way mark, is excellent in having to personify the conflicting emotions of distrust, aggression, terror and frustration simultaneously.
"I don't want to talk about time travel because if we start talking about
it then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with
straws" - Old Joe
Johnson has answered endless questions about the time-travel elements of Looper in lengthy Q&As. Old Joe's avoidance of its mechanics is not lazy avoidance but an effort by the writer to avoid being bogged down by Inception-style exposition. This allows the taut narrative to progress quickly to what is easily the best climax of the year. Not since Se7en has a filmed packed such a potent punch in its final moments.
The real importance of this film though, is that it represents a big victory for the smart, original blockbuster. 2012 saw the rejection of dumb, disposable action flicks like Battleship and the success (both financially and critically) of movies like Looper and The Avengers. Hopefully this signifies a shift away from the Michael Bays of Hollywood to talented writer/directors like Johnson, Whedon and Christopher Nolan being allowed to put their vivid, unique stories onto a larger canvas and push the boundaries of the stagnant action genre.
Great review. Didn’t have me as emotionally-invested as I thought I could have been, but still, a pretty solid sci-fi flick that’s heavy on story and characters, which is all that mattered to me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I may be slightly biased as a big fan of Johnson and JGL! Just checked out your site, impressive stuff. Is that your job now?
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