Thought provoking, time traveling, science fiction...Seriously!

Rating: 9/10 (30 September 2012)

Time travel has been something integrated in cinema for decades now. Usually, when you hear about a film with some sort of time travel element involved, you're in for a fairly cheesy ride, full of plot holes. Very rarely can a film take a premise so out of this world, and make it grounded in reality. I am very happy to say that "Looper" is one of those rare occasions.
The film takes place in 2042, Kansas City. Time travel has not yet been invented, however, in 2072, it has. The mob in 2072 sends their target back in time 30 years, where a Looper will than shoot the body on site and dispose of its remains, making it forever untraceable. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of summer, The Dark Knight Rises) plays a Looper named Joe; he is the youngest Looper to be hired. Always doing his job without hesitation, he doesn't look at their faces or ask any questions, he just gets his job done and collects his money. However, his life takes dramatic twist when one day, he is face to face with an older version of himself.
That's about as much of the plot that I will give away, going into to this movie as fresh as you can will benefit your cinematic experience, dramatically. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who made his directorial debut with the detective film noir, "Brick" which also starred Gordon-Levitt. Johnson has a unique style to his directing, which is clearly present in this film. He uses unorthodox angles and lighting to add a certain dark and gritty feel to most of his scenes. While also using mostly practical effects, it gives the film a certain feel of realism that is refreshing in today's film culture, to say the least. There are no weak links here acting wise, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a breathtaking performance as a man who is troubled with his past, that is also trying to protect his future as well. His portrayal of a young Bruce Willis is spot on, getting all the little mannerisms down to a tee. This is the best I have seen Bruce Wills in years, giving his all in the more emotional scenes in the movie. For once I felt like I wasn't just watching Brice Willis playing himself, I was watching the character of Older Joe, who happens to be portrayed by Bruce Willis.
Time travel is nearly a back drop in the story. It is explained in fragments, not giving you a clear cut explanation how it works, yet not dumbing it down as a cheap plot devise either. Johnson paints a not so glamorous take on the future. The look and feel is rather dark and bleak, rather than a flashy, technology driven future, we see in most science fiction epics. The story is small in scope and just deals with the characters at hand. Every scene, plot point, and action, has a purpose to how the film will eventually rap up, in its ambitious conclusion.
If you are going into this film expecting a big sci-fi chase movie with none stop action, you may be disappointed. It is a character based movie with science fiction and time travel elements. Elements that are done extremely well and also very entertaining. As a huge fan of sci-fi, it was nice to see the genre have a more personal and unique take on it. Seeing a character, played by two different actors that are from two different time periods, brought together in a smart, thought provoking manner, was a two hour rush that is gladly worth the price of admission. It reels you into this futuristic universe with its opening shot and doesn't let go until the credits are rolling. There is a period in the middle of the film that takes place at a barn which is a little slow and some of the CGI effects that are present aren't exactly top notch. Yet those are just minor setbacks, to one of the most original films I have seen in years. In a world where we are surrounded by reboots, sequels and prequels, "Looper" was a brilliant breathe of fresh air.