Looping Past, Present, Future.

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2015)

Looper (2012): Dir: Rian Johnson / Cast: Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels: Strange yet compelling science fiction thriller about mending mistakes. The year is 2044 and Joseph-Gordon Levitt plays some sort of hit-man who, at a given time, arrives in a cane field where he shoots dead the bag head individual who appears from the future. The victims are criminals and the loopers are paid in silver bars. Central plot regards the appearance of Bruce Willis, who is Levitt's older self. The idea here is to gun Willis down and live the next thirty years. Both are on the run when the termination fails. Willis desires to terminate a boy called The Rainmaker who would figure into the future in a tragic way. Willis needs to avenge the death of his wife by killing this individual as a boy. Levitt is out to protect the boy whom he sympathizes with. Emily Blunt plays the boy's caretaker who runs a farm and is not afraid to draw a gun. Paul Dano plays Levitt's best friend, also a looper who fails to gun down his future self. This places a bounty on his head, which informs Levitt exactly how lethal his employers really are. Jeff Daniels also delivers an interesting cynical turn as Abe, the guy who seems to put out these bounties to begin with. Impressive work by director Rian Johnson who doesn't attempt to make sense of the time travel but it is a step forward in budget after making Brick and The Brothers Bloom. Well written and tense writing with great visual appeal that avoids all the miserable loop holes that so many other films of this type fall whole heartedly into. Score: 9 / 10