Villanueve sets a new standard

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2018)

Before I say the things that I'm going to say, let me preface this with a SPOILER WARNING, and the fact that a 10 out of 10 legendary-class film is not necessarily perfect by any means. There is no perfect film, not even Citizen Kane or the recent Lady Bird. But in my personal opinion, with Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villanueve sets a new standard for modern film-making that MUST be seen to be believed.
2049 follows the story of Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a Replicant (synthetic human bred for labor and obedience by the Wallace Corporation) who works for the LAPD as a Blade Runner, or Replicant hunter. The film opens with him tracking down a Replicant (Dave Bautista) which sets about a chain of events that shows that the predecessor to Wallace, Tyrell Corp, defied science and created a Replicant that could procreate with a human. The opening shots are some of the best cinematography of the decade, and it just improves from there. Ryan Gosling absolutely kills it in the lead role, even outshining veteran actors like Harrison Ford, who reprises his role from the original Blade Runner as Deckard. Deckard is disgruntled and in hiding, following the events of the first film and the death of his Replicant wife, Rachel, who gave birth to a human child. The writing in 2049 is truly impressive, relying heavily on Villanueve's style from Arrival of show-don't-tell. The story doesn't spoon-feed the plot, and has a twist that, although is more predictable than it would seem, is still fantastic and really drives the plot to an impressive and tense conclusion. The supporting cast is still incredibly strong, even with Gosling stealing the show. Jared Leto in the role of Wallace is a good villain, although cliche in some aspects. His method acting really shines through here, making him as believable as Gosling. Now, slight warning: most people will find this movie incredibly boring due to its slow pacing and complex storytelling. Unfortunately, the mass market appeal is not there for this film. The noir style film subgenre is one that is difficult for most people to follow attentively. I watched at least four or five people walk out of the theater out of boredom when I saw this on opening night. The movie's excessive use of nudity also can be a major turn-off to the conservative crowd. However, if you can approach the film with an objective mindset, keen on watching a complex story that will make you think, as well as see the best visuals in years, then see this film.
2049 has become my favorite film of all time, because of its impressive visuals, engaging story, fantastic actors, and master-class director, who has truly solidified himself as one of the greats. Between this and Arrival, Villanueve has brought back a style of storytelling that most won't understand, but those that do or make an effort to understand will find this film as legendary as I have.