The dirtiest of jobs has one of the biggest payoffs.
Poster courtesy of Google Image.
The future is one of bleak sadness and poverty in this September 28th movie release.
Unless one plans on living on the streets, selling his/her body, or working a dead end job, they have to be prepared to get their hands dirty. All start young, and lead short lives, but being a Looper is one of the best jobs there is in 2042. They work short days and make big money; they just have to kill people from the future. This is the job that Joe (Joseph Gorden-Levitt, Premium Rush) has been working since he was a young boy. He has been saving his money, learning French, and has a plan for the future. Sadly, his future is what keeps him from it.
Time travel exists in the year 2072. Almost right as it was invented, it was instantly outlawed. Only powerful gangs and crime syndicates use it to dispose of people they need dead (it’s nearly impossible to get away with murder in this future). Loopers are the hired guns from 2032 that take care of these targets. There is only one way to fire these Loopers and that is to send their future self back for them to kill. They get paid more than the usual sum, and are released to live the next 30 years of their lives. This is called Closing The Loop, and the worst thing a Looper can do is let his Loop run.
Enter Joe, a respected Looper who has grown up a poor citizen in a Kansan metropolis. Taken on by the theoretical ruler of this desolate city (and runner of the Looper business) at a young age, Joe has not grown into a very respectable person. He is addicted to drugs, kills people for money, and spends most of his free time at bars and strip clubs. It’s fitting then that his Loop is soon to be closed, by a future self who is more than he can handle. He lets his Loop run, and the greater plot ensues.
Looper surprised me, to say the least. It had an ambitious idea, with a superb execution. Its gritty futuristic world was filled with violence, oppression, and dark characters. I believe that this was one of the best Sci-Fi movie releases in September history, and deserves praise for its wonderfully creative plot. It does have its faults, but any movie with a bold idea such as this does.
Acting is of the utmost importance in a movie where one character is a different version of the same person. Luckily, Gordon-Levitt conveys a fantastic representation of a young Bruce Willis (The Expendables 2). Much controversy has been made about the excess use of makeup and facial doctoring that has been utilized in order to make Gordon-Levitt look more like Willis. However, it’s not as much the looks that help Gordon-Levitt give his portrayal, but more through his mannerisms and simple things like facial expressions and body language. There is even a well-designed scene in the movie that really solidifies the fact that the young Joe will grow into the Old Joe (Willis).
Obviously with a strong lead like Gordon-Levitt, the movie needs an equally sufficient counterpart. Willis was actually my personal favorite part of this movie. The way he acted, as Old Joe, was so compelling, curious, and often times humorous. Emily Blunt (The Five-Year Engagement) did pretty well as the lonely, protective mother Sara. Jeff Daniels (Paper Man) was absolutely fantastic as the villain Abe, who was a man from the future, who came back to run the Looper organization. His ruthless nature, and futuristic insight made him a stellar character throughout the movie.
Looper is a hidden gem among fall movies, and deserves a viewing from any Sci-Fi fan. Just be warned, in a movie such as this, mature content is a given. Things such as drugs, violence, and nudity are present in this R rated adventure, so be prepared. However, something that deters the movie slightly was a 20-minute brick of boring about half-way to three quarters into the movie. It isn’t enough to suggest not seeing the movie in theaters (or at least at matinee price), just enough to keep it from rising above other fantastic films. Looper was one of the most unique Sci-Fi films I’ve ever seen, and I hope to see more content coming from this universe in the future.
Rating: ★★★★
