In my triumphant return to writing, I am briefly discussing sci-fi/action film Looper. Since February, I have been vexed by the vicarious vicissitudes of fate. Now that things have calmed down, I will resume doing what I love most...watching and critiquing movies. Without further adieu, here is a brief synopsis of Film District's Looper.Fate, providence, predestination, consequence, future, and death are all themes in Looper, a time traveling action epic starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. Looper, takes place in the not so distant year of 2074. It is a society where one can work as an assassin for mob syndicates that send victims 30 years back in time for execution. These "assassins" are known as loopers. Loopers lead a relatively easy life as long as they kill each mark put in front of them. The job continues until they assassinate their future selves. Upon completion of this inevitable task, the "loop" is closed. Effectively closing all loose ends that tie these assasins to their emloyers. This is where the problem begins...
Looper begins with a brief glimpse into the life and addictions of Joe (Gordon-Levitt), a looper whose future will bring drastic changes to his present. Once this change occurs, we are violently introduced to future Joe (Bruce Willis). A man with his own set of memories and life history that are about to be disrupted by the consequences of time travel. From this point forward the film takes a jarring turn towards rapid story progression, time-paradoxes, and stylized action of the likes we have not seen since Die Hard With A Vengeance. As a bonus, Sara (Blunt) provides an interesting turn of events that will undoubtedly lead to many conversations with friends on the laws of astrophysics, time travel, and evolution.
What happens when your future and past intersect? What happens to the past that you remembered before the time/space continuum was corrupted? How do you alter the future without knowing that your actions are the cause of the problem you are trying to solve? These questions are just a few of the conversation starters that will make this movie a must-see-event for years to come. All in all, Looper provides a gripping tale of the consequences of a person's actions and delivers it on a special effects driven platter ensconced in breathtaking brutality that we have not in any film this year. A superb effort from director and writer Rian Johnson, a film that should not be missed.
Rating: 5 Stars (Maximum of 5) - Brutality, science, and masterful storytelling combine in Looper, the best action film of 2012.
