FILM: Looper (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
I liked the look of this sci-fi thriller when it was released and always intended to catch it when it came out on DVD. Also, I think that it's star Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor with the world at his feet at the moment.

What's it all about?
In the future policing techniques have made it impossible to get away with murder. Time travel has been invented but outlawed, only used by the mob to send its hits back in time 30 years to be taken out by hit men known as 'loopers'. Loopers  however, have a limited shelf life and the mob retires them by sending their future selves back for termination, giving the looper 30 years of retirement. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a looper facing his future self, Bruce Willis, when his employers decide to 'close his loop'.

Should you watch it?
Writer/director Rian Johnson has hit the big time with Looper, a really polished and original clever sci-fi thriller that succeeds by focusing more on its characters and slick action than tying the narrative in loops to explain the intricacies of time travel. In fact the film makes it clear that the time travel discussion is off the table, Willis makes this point abundantly clear to his younger self when the pair discuss their past/future in another great American diner scene. It simply isn't allowed to distract from the film.

Knowing me, knowing you

The action is stylish and the film carries a genuine sense of almost low budget indie cool throughout. Armed with his awesome blunderbuss, Gordon-Levitt copes with playing a lead action man well and is ably supported by Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. Blunt, in particular, gives a strong performance as a single mother resolutely protecting her son.

I have seen some comments to the contrary, but I found the film's ending to be excellent and thought provoking.