Johnson's scenes of action sometimes stumble, but the devilishly smart script turns "Looper" into an exciting, dizzying journey.

Rating: 7/10 (22 September 2019)

"Looper" is the first wide release by writer-director Rian Johnson ("The Brothers Bloom"), an under-the-radar genius who cast Gordon-Levitt in the 2005 cult movie "Brick." Returning to favor, the actor performs Joe under an elaborate but almost invisible makeup by Kazuhiro Tsuji, who subtly reshapes his face toward Willis-ness.It's an incomplete impact, but the canny performance of Gordon-Levitt helps, especially when the Joes face off at a dinner (over the same steak and egg plates).
The comparatively low-budget "Looper" will inevitably make comparisons with the outsize "Inception" by Christopher Nolan (also with Gordon-Levitt), but it's a funnier, rougher (and much shorter) film. Johnson's scenes of action sometimes stumble, but the devilishly smart script turns "Looper" into an exciting, dizzying journey.