Once In A While

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2002)

Cinema should be about entertainment, but without provoking some serious thinking it's as expendable as a pack of chips. Once in a while along comes a movie that justifies the very existence of the medium. Minority Report is one that does just that. I had no idea what this was about when I entered the cinema, killing an over-bearingly hot afternoon in, ironically, Washington. Then I sat spellbound for over 2 hours as Spielberg and his crew span a tale so pertinent to our time. A multi-layered movie that works on, well, every layer. Whether it's action, special effects, film noir, or just plain politics this is a film that is intelligent. It uses, rather than depends on, special effects and poses so many questions about freedom and security. How relevant at the moment, especially as it seems that US citizens can be put away for just thinking about "terrorist acts".

Somewhat episodic in its early stages, though well spiced with humour, it matures into a free-flowing thriller laced with political messages that we ignore at our peril. A must-see for any movie-goer with an ounce of intelligence.