"I didn't feel like I wasn't in the Blade Runner world even for a second"

Rating: 10/10 (14 October 2017)

"Blade Runner 2049" is a triumph in atmospheric filmmaking, breathtakingly stunning visuals, and big-budget films in general. Director Denis Villeneuve has created a rare specimen of a film that knows how to take its time while having nuanced philosophical subtleties along with a huge budget at his disposal. It doesn't just build on the fully realized world the original in 1982 had, instead it builds its own living, breathing, and naturalistic world that leaves so much for the imagination to consume.
Set 20 years after the original, 2049 manages to bring in wonderful performances and a distinct perspective to the world Ridley Scott first brought. Ryan Gosling plays a Blade Runner that provides a parallel to Deckard in the original film, but his performance brings in a subtle nuances that show the tangible implications of being a Blade Runner. Another important character in the film is the bleak, vast and lived in world of Los Angeles in 2049. The world in the film presents a deeply characterized lens that makes us question the so called humanity that resides in it. The characters of Joi and Lov, the former being a virtual holographic girlfriend and the latter being a straight up menacing badass add so much more to the mood and world that they live in. Their presence begs questions like what is the role artificiality plays in the duty they should partake and whether that is something that is real to begin with, and what is their position in the world and does it make them inferior to begin with if they can make us feel emotions? Despite all of this, at the center of it all is a mystery that truly taps in to the gray area of the wall between humanity and artificiality. The unique point of view that the film dispenses with its protagonist, Agent K, is one that drives home the messages and themes the original Blade Runner was known for but with enough new style and substance to bring in to the table.
A lot of liberty was made to meticulously craft each detail and narrative beats in this movie. It's obvious from the get go that it wants to immerse you into the world and aesthetic that is 2049. Roger Deakins's cinematography is top notch and really revolutionizes the concept of atmospheric filmmaking. Details such as framing characters from windows showing how alienated and disillusioned they are in reality, breathtaking color palettes that fill up the cold and quiet nature of the scene, limited lighting to construct an almost dream- like feeling, and much more. The world of this film is absolutely fully realized, not for one fleeting moment in this 2 hour and 43 minute film did I feel like I wasn't in the world of Blade Runner.
It's without a doubt that if the first Blade Runner wasn't for you, then this one won't be either. It's one that's rooted in philosophy and themes that aren't presented the same way this does compared to modern blockbuster films. It's a lot to take in, and it's been a week since I've fully come to terms with this review. It's definitely not yet time to call it a masterpiece, but soon enough it will be. There are themes, questions and performances from this movie that will be discussed for years to come and will definitely transcend this review. The story, without going in to much detail, is one that is worthy of multiple viewings, and that's a good thing. Films should strive to make audiences think about it for many years to come, and this film does it with flying neon colors.
Verdict: 5/5