Thematic emotion, drama plays on chase scenes
Science fiction often requires audiences to cast away real-world logic and accept whatever rules are established in a film, confusing or not.
This is especially true for time travel films, a genre that from time to time succumbs to paradox. However, including enough detail to fully make sense of it all, director Rian Johnson presents an intelligent work, “Looper,” that successfully captures the concept of time travel in a way that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.
To explain the premise of time travel in “Looper” would require excruciating detail as this is a very complex film. As with last year’s “Source Code,” this is a science fiction film that rewards audiences that actually think and pay attention.
“This time travel crap just fries your brain like an egg,” says scotch-drinking mob bureaucrat Abe (Jeff Daniels).
The story follows mob employee Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a “looper” as referred to in the film, who assassinates targets sent from 30 years in the future.
There’s only one real rule when it comes to being a looper: never let your target escape.
Unfortunately, this happens to Joe when he’s given an assignment to kill his future self (Bruce Willis), which according to the rules of time-travel within the film means your services are no longer required. Older Joe eludes capture and goes on a “Terminator”-styled hunt to kill the child version of a powerful mob boss from the future.
“Looper” can be seen as a series of films within one. Film scholars can see Johnson’s inspiration from the French New Wave movement in cinema history. Movie lovers in general can see inspiration from science fiction films like “Blade Runner” to the classic “Casablanca” (La Belle Aurore is the name of the bar where loopers meet).
Sure, an argument can be made against “Looper’s” originality because of this, but at least nothing stereotypical is transferred into writing the screenplay.
The style of action isn’t exactly fast-paced due to the complexity that comes with the time-travel storyline, but it thrills like no other science fiction film released this year. It does slow down a bit when we are introduced to Sara (Emily Blunt) and her son Cid (Pierce Gagnon). This sequence feels a bit like an interlude from the overall story at first, but all that changes thanks to a well-conceived plot twist.
The art direction and special effects help make “Looper” a superior film within its genre. Johnson succeeds in creating a futuristic world that feels familiar and not over-exaggerated.
Not only does Johnson successfully detail this new dystopian world, but he successfully balances the intellectual and shoot-em-up thrills.
When “Looper” becomes a chase film with younger Joe wanting to kill older Joe, it presents a thematic “who am I?” feel of emotion and drama. And if you think that it’s dumb for someone to want to kill their future self, Joe has that covered by saying the job “does not attract the most forward-thinking people.” Gordon-Levitt just continues to impress with every movie that he is in. Even if covered with facial prosthetics to make him look more like a younger Willis, he continues to demonstrate his ability and range as an actor.
Willis’s performance is one of his most emotionally demanding compared to his typical action roles (“Die Hard” not included). This is a role that actually demands that Willis act, as he is not only provided with action sequences, but also scenes of impactful drama.
Willis‘s character is definitely the most complex in the film, especially when referring to the relationship between Older Joe and the audience.
We can’t help but loathe his actions just as much as he loathes himself, but a disturbing sense of understanding still exists due to the background on Older Joe’s life.
Even though it’s a brilliantly realized concept, “Looper” is not flawless. As its title suggests, “Looper” eventually puts itself in a corner and ends up coming to a conclusion that’s unexpected but not completely satisfying.
But compared to how engrossing the rest of the film is, this flaw feels like a hole in a wooden fence: it’s easy to look past.
Smartly written with stunning art direction and two leads that own their roles, questions come to mind in terms of what recognitions “Looper” will receive.
In terms of Oscar nominations, it does deserve some recognition for effects, but Willis himself may be worthy of a nomination.