Looper

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Qing Xu

3.5/4

Rated R for Strong Violence, Language, Some Sexuality/Nudity and Drug Content

"Looper" is an astonishingly audacious and ambitious sci-fi thriller.  Director Rian Johnson's new thriller, due to clever marketing and word-of-mouth, has become one of the most talked about and mysterious films of the year.  For once, the trailers give away almost nothing about the plot.  It's too complex to be able to be fully introduced within the confines of a two minute series of clips.

The film takes place in the near-future.  Time travel hasn't been invented yet, but it will be in thirty years.  It's supposed to be illegal, but the mob uses it as a way of getting rid of people who would otherwise sleep with the fishes.  Loopers, like Joe (Gordon-Levitt), are assigned to blow away the hits who get sent back in time, and shove the bodies into an incinerator.  Eventually, though, all loopers see their own future selves, and after they kill them (as they must), they retire and live out the rest of their 30 years doing whatever the hell they want.  When Joe meets his future self, Old Joe (Willis), his would-be victim is ready for him.  Now both of them are on the run from the mob and each other.

This is one of those movies where it is entirely possible, if not probable, that the movie will get better with successive viewings.  Due to its complex nature, it takes a while to set up, and there's a lot of jumping around in time and with characters.  It's not that it's confusing, it's just that there's so much going on that it's difficult to form an emotional connection with any of the characters.  Once everything has been explained, the plot hits full stride and it turns into a one of a kind movie.

Rian Johnson has had an interesting career to say the least.  He broke out in the indie film circut with "Brick," a good film-noir set in a high school (complete with stylized speech and violence) that completely collapsed during the final act.  His next film, "The Brothers Bloom," was what one might imagine if Wes Anderson had made an action movie (had his ego and self-indulgence been toned down by about a hundred fold).  Both of those films, it should be noted, starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt (he had the lead in "Brick," and a cameo in "The Brothers Bloom").

One of the things I liked about the movie is how Rian Johnson handles the concept of time travel.  With all its paradoxes and the fact that it is so impossible that science can't make it credible even with a substantial amount of Michael Crichton-ish fudging, it's damn near impossible to make a compelling story that uses it effectively (this is where J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot stumbled, mainly due to the writing).  Johnson uses the almighty "KISS" rule: keep it simple stupid.  Apart from a few rules, every other paradox about time-travel is irrelevant.  That's not to say that the butterfly effect wouldn't occur, but for the purposes of this movie it doesn't matter to us or to the characters.

The acting is exceptional across the board.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt cut his acting teeth on the TV show "3rd Rock from the Sun," but his true breakthrough came when he starred in Scott Frank's directorial debut, "The Lookout."  That film wasn't a box office smash (probably because it was marketed as something that it wasn't), but it proved that Gordon-Levitt's talent hasn't diminished with age.  Now he's worked with the likes of Christopher Nolan (twice), Spike Lee, and is starring in Spielberg's upcoming epic "Lincoln."  With every new role, he continues to grow and mature as an actor.  Although his performance is almost everyman-like, it's not.  Gordon-Levitt uses subtle changes in his eyes (I swear he's wearing colored contact lenses) and his tone of voice to create menace and sympathy.  His co-star, Bruce Willis, is no less impressive.  Now that he's outgrown his status as an action star (save for valiantly attempting to keep the "Die Hard" franchise alive if he's paid enough money), Willis has gone the way of many an actor who have been replaced by younger, hotter stars: independent fare.  After starring in one of the year's worst movies ("Moonrise Kingdom"), he's starred in one of the best.  We can feel Old Joe's turmoil and desperation to the extent that it takes a while for us to side with Young Joe.  Emily Blunt, who accepted the role before she even got to her character's entrance in the script, is also very good.  Her performance (especially her accent) is so good that it's hard to remember that it's the same dark-eyed beauty who got her break playing Anne Hathaway's (her real-life best friend) rival in "The Devil Wears Prada."  Superb support is provided by Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano and in an important cameo, Garret Dillahunt.  Special mention has to go to Qing Xu, who play's Old Joe's lover.  She has no dialogue, but boy, does she have an expressive face!

In a way, it's almost unfair to the film for me to review it after seeing it only once (seeing old favorites on DVD doesn't apply), since this movie demands repeat viewings to get the full experience.  I plan on seeing it at least once more in theaters, and I reserve the right to change the rating (as I have from time to time).  There are a few little problems (including one brief clip that should have been left on the cutting room floor) but they are really minor quibbles.  This is really one of the best films of the year so far, and I guarantee that it will end up on my top 10 list this year.