Bold, patient, moody - a worthy sequel

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2017)

This is a great film, the visuals alone are incredible. But the thing that sets it apart is the same main quality that set Blade Runner (1982) apart - its unique mood. It's not uplifting but not depressing either. It cuts deeply, makes you feel something real. It isn't manipulating your emotions. It really captures that broken feeling of being a flawed human, looking for meaning in your life, lost in a dangerous world full of contradictions.
The music is perfect for the movie. It's reminiscent of the Vangelis score for the original but doesn't just repeat it or rip it off. Its a continuation of the previous score, acknowledging it and moving on. A lot of it is loud rumbling or Inception-style BWAAARMS but it feels right. Then there are moments of near-silence. We hear things whirring past, slowly. As if some huge hovering spacecraft is visiting overhead. Is it part of the music or a physical sound the characters can hear? We can't tell, they blend together.
There are interesting themes. It's a movie about cyborgs but delves into real questions about the nature of being human. How do we know if our memories are real? If there are gaps, does that mean that our memories are fake? Or do our emotions naturally cause gaps and inconsistencies anyway? If our memories have been implanted, then who are we really? Can our emotional reactions to fake memories be real and does that somehow validate them?
Can you love a program? Can you bond with "her", become comfortable with each-other developing your own brand of playful banter, miss her when she's gone? Can love be reciprocated by a program? More importantly, does it even matter? Is loving someone really just a way to indirectly love ourselves?
Will cyborgs ever be able to feel real emotions, reproduce, be whatever that combination of emotional/rational is that we call "human"? Is human irrationality a strength or would cyborgs with absolute concentration be superior to humans in every way?
The imagery is striking - like a collection of dystopian sci-fi paintings. A futuristic car, a man, a desolate landscape and a deadwood, for example. The film takes its time, letting the images wash over you. If you appreciate the style and the tone of the story appeals to you, you'll be in heaven. Others may start to get impatient. The movie isn't afraid to keep things hidden or vague from time to time, to allow rain to distort images, to dwell for a long time on a still frame before a character finally speaks. This movie exists outside the regular pace and tropes of what we've been trained to expect from typical movies. No one-liners, no obvious final looks or grimaces before cutting to the next scene. More like a loud, ominous build- up of music and then a bizarre panning shot into another scene - this movie has a vision.
I saw Prisoners (2011) recently and was impressed by its patience, good acting and willingness to go into dark subject matter. I immediately wanted to know who the director was so I could see more - I could tell this wasn't a fluke, this was made by someone who knew what they were doing. There are too many pointless remakes, reboots, sequels and prequels these days. Numbers in titles become redundant, it's all about colons now. But when I found out Villeneuve was the director of Blade Runner 2049, I was suddenly very excited and this movie truly delivers. He's a serious contender for best current film-maker, second only to Nolan IMO.
The acting is good. Ryan Gosling comes across as human but subdued. Not overly excited about the world he lives in or his job but with kindness in his eyes. We feel intimate with him but distant as well. He's doesn't really connect with his emotions. Maybe that's the point. We can sense they're there under the surface. It's certainly something I can relate to, feeling things but not always expressing it or understanding what they mean. Harrison Ford is given a dignified, meaningful role. He doesn't just have a cameo, nor is he merely lending his fame. This movie adds to Deckard's personal story and our fascination with it. Ana de Armas is equal parts sexy, playful, innocent and sensitive. I like when movies capture those universal, timeless, powerful moments in life - like looking into a beautiful girl's eyes the first time - it's a raw human experience and we are dwarfed by its power. In the movie, holographic attractive women the size of buildings tower over the people.
Finally, the plot is intriguing if confusing at times. Its generally easy to follow but it can feel like some threads are missing at times. But the plot is secondary to the tone. I do like the mystery. We get to fill in many of the blanks for ourselves and its not too hard to do. It's more about understanding the characters, their motivations and how they're affected by the things they find out. Trying to piece the whole thing together seems unnecessary - there's no grand scheme, just individuals finding their way through the fog. Those expecting a completely coherent, dialogue-heavy movie will be disappointed.
This must be a first. A sequel to a one-of-a-kind movie 35 years later which matches or even outdoes it. It respects the original but isn't bogged down in attempts to reference or imitate it. It continues the story in interesting ways. It captures something of that unique mood but in its own way. This is a movie that will age very well for a long time to come. Its contemplative, philosophical, ambiguous and enigmatic. It will only become more relevant as time goes on. But only time will tell quite how far ahead of its time it really is.