It was the best of Time & the worst of Time

Rating: 8/10 (4 October 2012)

Imagine if James Ellroy, Raymond Chandler or James M.Cain had written a sci-fi movie then we'd have the 1st half of "Looper". Now imagine if Terence Malick had written & directed a sci-fi movie then we'd have the 2nd hour of "Looper".
The first hour is sci-fi noir almost as visionary as "Bladerunner". It is sharp, nasty, thrilling, brutal & inventive. Rian Johnson does such a great job with cracking dialog, cracking visuals & sharp cuts that it almost kills me to say that when this movie goes out to pasture it just about "buys the farm".
"The Departed" died when Nicholson's character croaked. This film almost dies when it goes into a field of bad dreams. Its pacing completely changes. A head rush becomes a marathon.
The performances are well above par. Joseph Gordon-Levitt can carry a film as he proves here. (His work in "The Dark Knight Rises" had surprising gravitas.) Bruce is Bruce. The make-up didn't distract me one bit due to the acting. To say that Jeff Daniels is under-appreciated has become a cliché.
I give this movie a 11/10 for the 1st hour & a 5/10 for its 2nd hour. The math loop adds to 16/20 = 8/10 (=4/5 for you math teachers).
Mr. Johnson, can you keep the same editor for the entire movie next time?