Looper:
In the year 2072, if the mob bosses want someone dead, they send them back to the year 2044, where a "looper" shoots them dead, and collects a gold prize from their pockets. Why do this? Forensics in 2072 are so advanced, no one can murder and not get caught, so the bodies are disposed of 30 years before they are killed, a clever plan. Why call them "loopers"? Well, at one point, they "close their contract". You see, the mob wants to close loose ends, they send a looper's future self back in time, and the looper kills them, and they can enjoy the next 30 years of their life. Joe, an average looper and drug addict, is chased down by his own employeers when his future self escapes execution. Joe attempts to chase down his future self, and stumbles upon a woman named Sarah, and her son Cid, who has strange powers. Meanwhile, Old Joe has his own dark objectives, to change his past by distorting the future. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, at first, appears to be a self-centered, cold-hearted prick. He is changed by Sarah, and begins to want to protect her and her son. Bruce Willis plays Old Joe as a sympathetic, tragic character, you want him to succeed, even if his goals are questionable and methods horrifying. Emily Blunt plays Sarah as a loving mother who will do anything to protect her son. Jeff Daniels plays Abe, a man from the future sent to the present to keep tabs on the loopers. Pierce Gagnon plays Cid, a weird young kid who has violent mood swings, but plays the role straight, and is very convincing. Paul Dano plays Seth, Joe's best friend who fucks up on one of his looper assignments, and must pay the price. Noah Segan plays Kid Blue, an idiotic, but eager looper who always fucks up, but just wants to please his superiors. There are few action scenes, but when they occur, they're thrilling and startling. The writing and plot get so complex, it's a little hard to follow, but if you pay attention, you'll get it. Looper is a smart, complex, edgy sci-fi thriller which asks some very serious questions about time travel, and other serious questions about morality. 4.5/5 stars.
Good review Matt. The plot makes perfect sense even if it may seem a bit confusing at first, and the suspense draws you in but something just did not mix so well in the end. I didn’t really care all that much for the characters and that’s sort of why the pay-off didn’t do much for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the ending. I won't give it away, but it is a bit disappointing. Check out spill.com's audio reviews of this film and "Dredd". I felt that Gordon-Levitt was an unlikeable asshole and Willis was the more sympathetic of the two, even though his motives are horrible and his screen time is little. Thanks for the feedback.
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