This movie is deep, y'all

Rating: 10/10 (12 October 2012)

I came out of this movie expecting to find glowing reviews from pretty much everyone, but was disappointed to see the many critical reviews here. That's fine; it's a free (in many countries) internet after all, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents into the mix because I absolutely loved this movie.
I had a very vague idea as to what to expect from this movie. All I knew was: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Prosthetics, Bruce Willis, Time Travel, Guns. I normally don't care for action films, but I really respect Joseph Gordon-Levitt and would be sold on watching any movie he might be doing.
What I did not expect was the depth of the message of the film and the vivid way it would be portrayed. Many of the reviews I glazed over remarked at how dumb the time-travel aspect was, how implausible such and such sci-fi aspect of the plot was, how ridiculous Joseph Gordon- Levitt's transformation into Bruce Willis was, or that Joseph's prosthetics were stoopid, etc, etc, etc. Yes, some of these reviews make valid points, but they are, at least to me, really secondary, or even tertiary to how this sci-fi medium was used to tell a story that is immensely relevant to our human experience. Yes, I would go that far as to call it that relevant.
We've all noticed our generation's blatant celebration of hedonism. The Jersey Shore phenomenon (I don't know the exact number, but everyone knows that show has a gajillion loyal followers)is a brilliant example of that. Appreciation for self-gratification at the expense of others is nothing new for humanity, but in the past, it was kept under wraps as if it were something we knew we should be ashamed of. It's all out in the open now, and Looper does a phenomenal job of getting the viewer to ask him or herself, "WTF am I doing with my life?"
If we've bought in to the idea that drugs, party, money, power bring any sort of lasting fulfillment, this film accurately depicts the outcome of living a life according to that creed albeit in a futuristic setting. In the end, Young Joe ends up with nothing.

His stored silver - gone in a matter of moments. It bought him nothing that he could keep.

He "killed (his) best friend for silver" and he never gets to see how horrific his friend's death truly was, but it's a death he's largely responsible for.

His drugs leaves him weak and feeble especially once he no longer has access to them.

The man that gave him "something that was (his) own" wants him taken out in the most violent way possible despite Young Joe's ready willingness to correct the situation. We also see that theme played out in Blue's irrational devotion to and quest for approval from that same man who also despises him, seeing him as a tool with no true value in and of himself. Why do we invest in things that do not care for us? As we see, the outcome is only heartache and even death - a wasted lifetime chasing after things that harm and have no lasting value.

We also see that Joe only emulated what he saw around him, having been abandoned by his mother - a "junkie" - and basically trafficked into a miserable life when his mother sold him to, what was it, a pan- handling gang? This is where we see that violence and misery occur in cycles,passed on from parent to child, parent to child, parent to child.
I found Young Joe's action at the end to be amazingly powerful because it was at that moment he realized that he needed to break that cycle, and offer Cid the chance to receive and be nurtured by something that he had never experienced during his lifetime - unconditional love. Cid did not choose the way he was born, but his mother's love will have the ultimate influence in what he eventually decides to do with his dangerous power. We don't see the outcome of this decision, but we're left hopeful that Cid will use what he has for good instead of evil.
I could say so much more about this film. It's tremendously packed with commentary on human existence in general - from our treatment of the poor to government corruption to the ethics of time travel were it possible. It's amazing that they were able to do all that in just 118 minutes. Overall, I would say, well done Rian Johnson!