Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) kills people in the new movie Looper. Oh, that’s so original! Well, it is when that killer shoots enemies of the future mob.
Looper, released Sept. 28, depicts a futuristic metropolis run by crime and sin. At the top of the hierarchy of criminals lies Abe (Jeff Daniels), a rugged time-traveler from the mob 30 years after the setting of the movie.
Now, this may seem confusing, but the time travel has yet to be invented in Joe’s time. Over the next 30 years, people learn to harness this ability and only the future mob has the money and power to utilize it.
Time travel completely illegal in Joe’s future. The mob has to wipe out every trace of evidence… including older Joe (Bruce Willis).
Joe, in particular younger Joe, is what they call a looper. Recruited by Abe, loopers are hired gunmen who kill anyone sent back in time.
These cold-blooded killers collect silver bars as payment for their services. When the mob sends back the loopers’ future self, he is required to “close the loop.” The looper then receives a big bonus and lives the next 30 years of his life however he wishes.
Joe always said he would not think twice about killing himself, but when their eyes meet Joe hesitates and “lets his loop run.” Although Joe is labeled a most wanted fugitive, he tries to hunt down himself thinking it will fix everything.
Looper, like Inception, can be confusing as the movie progresses because of the time travel aspect. The blockbuster film also shares the intense thrill that Inception had.
Not surprisingly, Rottentomatoes.com gave Looper a rating of 93% (guaranteed fresh) and 91% of viewers liked it. I think 93% is an accurate rating; on my scale, I would give the movie a 9.5 out of 10.
Heed my warning: Looper is easily categorized as a rated-R film. Scenes range from slow motion to seconds of partial nudity, and shooting scenes fail to leave out detailed gore. This film is a well-rounded movie because the director includes a variety of emotions such as a mix between pity and passion,
I loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt after his appearance in Batman: The Dark Knigh Rises, but he has made it on my top 25 favorite actors list now that he has taken a lead role in a phenomenal thriller. With the help of supporting actors, Gordon-Levitt brought a unique darkness to Looper I have yet to see in other movies. The film is shot mostly in the dark and Gordon-Levitt maintains an intense seriousness that complements the mood.
Although Joe seems more righteous than his fellow criminals, he still partakes in drugs and strippers. Once he “closes his loop”, Joe plans to learn French and move on with his life but gets a shock when he becomes a fugitive. Joe discovers more about himself in a week on the run than he did after twenty years of corruption.
On a separate note, the director failed to describe the society to its full potential. Throughout the movie, I wondered who enforces future laws and how is the future different from 30 years before it? I had many unanswered questions when the credits rolled around.
Furthermore, some shooting scenes were a bit too cheesy for the movie.
Looper exceeds all expectations, though. The movie industry is in a dead part of the year and Looper is the only film, in theatres, I would pay ten dollars to see.
