A brilliant film that manages to reach sophistication with simplicity

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2017)

The more I think about Blade Runner 2049, the more brilliant it becomes. It is a film that manages to reach sophistication with simplicity.
Director Dennis Villeneuve took on this sequel to the original Blade Runner with heavy pressure and expectations. It seems that he has been quite reserved in testing the boundaries and drawing a trajectory from the path of the original. It is nonetheless a sincere and daring continuation, and it is faithful to the ambiguities and questions presented in the first film.
There seems to be polarising views when it comes to Villeneuve films. Blade Runner 2049 is akin to the Arrival, and draws its audience in with its incredible visuals and an enigmatic sense of wonder. It is easy to be immersed in a lull, and that can either be appreciated or despised. It depends on what you expect, and your opinion would vary depending on which angle your assessment is made. I have come to appreciate that is how Villeneuve paints his mysteries – the rhythm is slow-paced, the mood is melancholy and unsettling, and he uses his strong central characters to dig with willpower and grace. Similar to Amy Adams' character in the Arrival, the central character here is Ryan Gosling, a replicant LAPD 'blade runner', sent out to retire older model replicants. Along the way, he discovers clues that may change his entire perception of his own identity and his world. It is terrifying to realise that our memories can define who we are, as both our past and future can alter the present. Like the future 'memories' that influenced Adams in the Arrival, Gosling was deeply affected by his past memories.
Villeneuve's artistic talent is undeniable. Two words pop into my mind when I try to describe the visuals, majesty and magnificence, compounded by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch's extremely powerful score. Even though this film is science fiction, there are parallels between our world and this world Villeneuve (and Ridley Scott) have created – the degradation and depletion of natural resources and the emergence and development of technology, especially in artificial intelligence. There is a great paradox here, in a sense that we are now seeking realism in a world where there is a loss of realism. There are profound scenes where Gosling tries to experience physical intimacy with his 'artificial intelligence' girlfriend Joi (Ana de Armas) – he felt love towards her and wanted to express it in a 'human way'.
This leads to a very important question regarding humanity, what is it that makes us human? Do we need to know how to love and exhibit emotions? Do we need to be born? Do we have to die for a cause? Gosling's Officer K searches the answer in this film, and although he was a replicant – a bioengineered 'human', he is in many ways, just like 'us'. The fact that we are trying to humanise this world (something that we take for granted now), is very intriguing.
I really enjoyed Villeneuve's 'minimalist' style in making this film. The narrative was simple, with few well-drawn characters. It was lovely to see Harrison Ford reprising his role as Deckard, and Robin Wright and Jared Leto gave convincing performances. Much like in Star Wars: the Force Awakens, there is that familiar frisson of excitement when Ford finally emerges from the darkness.
Still, questions were left unanswered in this film and it wasn't Villeneuve's intention to do so. Ironically, by keeping the elements simple, he has achieved both emotional and intellectual depth. I much appreciated the obscurity because the true magic lies in the moments afterwards, when I slowly discover the hidden intricacies and I spend my time just pondering about it. Perhaps the answer is simple, it just takes quite a journey to get there.