Twist your brain round this

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2013)

Set in the mid 21st century, Looper are a group of hit men who kill victims who are sent back from the future. Hired by mobs from the future, the Loopers are run by Abe (Jeff Daniels) who is sent back to look after things in the present (past?). One of these loopers is Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who learns that one by one, all the loopers are being sent back to be killed off. Loops are being closed off and if they fail to kill their future selves then a hit is order to kill either the present Looper or the future Looper.
As Joe fails to kill his future self (Bruce Willis), his future self tries to change the course of time and the future, while the younger Joe just wants to live out his life and will do so even if it means killing his future self. The plot opens up to show how and why the future Joe wants to eradicate the mysterious crime boss The Rainmaker. He believes that killing him while he is young will allow him to live the life he has lived....you following?
What the film does is give you two protagonist and you are never quite sure who to root for. Is it the older self who has learnt from his mistakes or is it the young Joe who is yet to learn from it. As the story unfolds the young Joe comes across one of the three possible targets that could be the potential young Rainmaker and sets out to protect him and his mother (Emily Blunt) from the older Joe. One has knowledge of the future and his own life whilst the other is living in the present doing what he believes to be right. It's a conflict which continues for both Joes' to struggle with as well as for the viewer.
A film that does well in creating an emotional response, the main characters provide an interesting emotional arch and has more depth to them than you would normally expect from these types of films. Emily Blunt character and her son gives the film it's change in pace. It starts up fast and frenetic and slows to a more meditative and reflect tone as characters become aware of their destiny and how some things are impossible to change.
A sci-fi film with plenty of intelligence, it never relies heavily on special effects or set pieces to provide entertainment. It feels very usual to see how little action is on show and more on the character development side of things. It does borrow from plots of other great sci-fi like the Terminator but it isn't as straight forward as that. It's like having the choice in going back to kill Hitler as a child knowing what he would do but having the strength to kill an innocent young human being with little or no evil in them yet.
A complex and interesting film brimming with ideas, with a standout performance from new comer Pierce Gagnon as the potential future crime lord. A kid so young not being out done by established actors on screen. Most may find the make up on young Joe a little distracting but nevertheless it is a passable resemblances to Bruce Willis.
A thoroughly entertaining film with a strong and complex narrative which will lead you to think about it for days on end as you try to work out it's convoluted plot.