Although I'm not a particular fan of anyone involved in Looper, I do like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt and have definitely found their recent performances (Gordon-Levitt in Inception and 500 Days Of Summer and Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau and The Young Victoria) make me want to see more of their films. Ole Brucie though I can take or leave (sorry Becki).
As far as 80s action heroes go I was always a fan of Sly in my youth, and can appreciate a bit of Arnie cheese, but Bruce just never impressed me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't avoid a Bruce Willis movie, I just don't feel that strongly about him either way.
So Looper was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The main thing that put me off was the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't look like Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In order to make him look like a young Bruce Willis the filmmakers made the decision to put Gordon-Levitt in prosthetic make up. Something I think was unnecessary as I didn't think it made him look any more like Bruce Willis than Emily Blunt did. He had the mannerisms, the walk, the voice, everything, so why bother with make up that didn't actually add anything to the performance? Now I know I'm going to stir controversy with that comment as I know that some people who've seen Looper did think it made a difference but for me, they didn't need to do that. I think it caused me more confusion that Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't look like himself than trying to reconcile that he was supposed to be a young Bruce. If he'd not worn the prosthetics I think I'd have found it easier to concentrate on his performance.
The film centers on Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who works as a Looper in the year 2044. Loopers are described as garbage men, taking out the future's trash. A lot of things have changed by 2044 but time travel has not yet been invented. Skip another 30 years into the future and it has been, so when the people of 2074 want someone gone, they zap them back in time and the Loopers kill the target and dispose of the body. The only problem with taking out the future's trash is that at some point you'll need to dispose of yourself. That's where old Joe comes in, played by Bruce Willis. But will young Joe be able to kill his future self?
I'm not going to spoil it for you but needless to say if you can get over the prosthetics, Looper is a well written, directed and acted sci-fi thriller that will keep you hooked til the credits roll. As one of my friends pointed out in a review she wrote for the film, although this could have been a brain bending sci-fi film, it's all laid out so clearly that you never find yourself not understanding it. That's surely a tribute to all involved that they made a film that's easy to watch but still interesting, new and engaging.
If you haven't ventured out to the cinema this month I would recommend Looper but be warned, there are a few scenes that those with a delicate disposition may find hard to stomach. Me, I loved those scenes the best! :0)
7.5 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 7th October 2012
UK Release Date - 28th September 2012
Cast Overview:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ~ Joe
Bruce Willis ~ Old Joe
Emily Blunt ~ Sara
Paul Dano ~ Seth
Noah Segan ~ Kid Blue
Piper Perabo ~ Suzie
Jeff Daniels ~ Abe
Director/Writer ~ Rian Johnson
Yes. The moral of this story is don't feel sorry for your future self, just blow their head off!
ReplyDelete