Looper may borrow elements from Terminator, 12 Monkeys and other science fiction classics, but make no mistake: this is a wholly original film. Rian Johnson has crafted an exciting, thought provoking and intelligent movie that could, eventually, stand with the very films it seems influenced by as "the best of the genre."
The advertising campaign for Looper has, wisely, left much of the main plot secret, instead focusing on the fact that Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon Levitt are the same person, and that Levitt is trying to kill his older self. Don't find out anything else about this movie! The film becomes more and more fascinating as it's different layers are exposed, constantly surprising the audience with the direction it takes. Also worth praising is the way Johnson's screenplay isn't afraid to break the genre rules and get very dark when necessary. Without ever becoming too over the top or overly violent, Looper pushes itself into places mainstream films don't always go, and that helps to make the film even more unpredictable. The film features one of the most disturbing death scenes I've seen in recent memory, a sequence which prompted a woman in the audience I saw it with to walk out, and also features some surprisingly edgy subject matter. But, the way it incorporate such material doesn't feel exploitative, but organic.
Much also has to be said about Joseph Gordon Levitt's performance. Playing another actor, which is essentially what Levitt is doing in this film, is always a challenge. The fact that he's playing such a larger than life personality only adds to it. But, Levitt nails the performance, completely transforming into Willis. His voice, mannerisms and the way he exudes a 'tough guy' persona (something which Levitt never really had) is stunning. He disappears into the part. The other performances are all uniformly solid- Willis turns in one of his best performances in years, while Blunt also turns in a very subtle, but powerful, performance. Actors in minor roles, including Garret Dillahunt, Jeff Bridges and Piper Perabo also add to the film.
It's somewhat amusing that, after a summer where many films that cost hundreds of millions of dollars failed to entertain in the slightest, a film that caused a fraction of their budget proved to be one of the most exciting films of the year. Looper is an intense thrill ride that remains consistently exciting and suspenseful. The big, loud shootouts, such as the heavily marketed diner showdown, are well crafted, but don't overshadow the quiet anxiety formed during the film's less explosive moments. And, while the film certainly has the brains most action films lack, their is still plenty of brawn to be found. When Bruce Willis picks up some guns and blasts his way through an army of enemies, you still feel the same rush of adrenaline to be found in his classic blockbusters. This is marriage of action and intellect, with a dash of emotion thrown in their- but I won't say anymore about that.
I will say a bit, however, on the films flaws which- however minor- were still present. For one thing, as convincing as Levitt seemed in the part, his make-up was truly horrendous. One shot in particular (trust me, you'll know which one I'm talking about) was just terrible and made Levitt look like the victim of a plastic surgery gone horribly wrong. Another problem for me was Paul Dano who, in a small part, fails to live up to his usual standards. He is doing a lot of overacting here, and it gets annoying fast. My final nitpick is, naturally, some of the time travel holes. Or, actually, the way the film quickly dismisses them. At first I admired Johnson for completely eliminating anyone willing to pick apart the science of his film but, upon reflection, the line (something along the lines of "I don't want to talk about time travel, we'll be making diagrams with straws here the whole day") feels condescending. In a film with many great lines, this one falls flat and essentially admits that their are holes in the film's logic. And their are, but, I did not notice them during the film and think the movie remains strong with them. That line wasn't necessary. Still these are minor complaints that just barely distract from an otherwise wonderful film.
If you haven't seen Rian Johnson's other two films, the high school set neonoir Brick and the caper comedy The Brothers Bloom, seek them out right away. Looper may not be my favorite of his films (The Brothers Bloom, my fourth favorite of 2009, had a huge emotional impact on me) but it stands tall as one of the year's very best. Even with minor problems, you will definitely get your money's worth in adrenaline and intellectual stimulus.
OVERALL GRADE: A
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