A Thinking Man's "Terminator"

Yesterday afternoon, I went to see the new film Looper. Set a few decades in the future, it's the story of an assassin paid to kill people sent back in time from his future. When he fails to kill his own older self, he becomes hunted by his own associates.

There's actually a good deal more at play in the plot than this intriguing but simple "man on the run" premise, but I enjoyed the way the film gradually unfolded its deeper themes, and would rather not spoil any more than necessary. Suffice it to say that the movie is an interesting exploration of what a person driven to extremes will do, and leave it at that.

The script, by writer-director Rian Johnson, is well-written and keeps its focus on the characters even as it explores most aspects of its high-concept sci-fi premise. I say "most," because it doesn't answer the one question that a friend of mine posed after first seeing the preview: "if there's more than one of these 'looper' assassins, then why would you send a person back to be killed by his younger self if you could send him to someone else instead?" (Though the movie does provide a vivid explanation of why the younger self would be highly motivated to go through with actually killing his older version.)

Assuming that question doesn't gnaw at you, then you can enjoy Looper as a "thinking man's Terminator." Not that the original Terminator was a dumb movie, by any stretch. (In fact, I might even say that the fun action sequences of the Terminator makes me like it slightly more.) But Looper is more interested in tickling the brain than releasing the adrenaline, and does what it sets out to do very well.

The cast is wonderful. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in particular, is exceptional. He endured a lengthy (and seamless) makeup process on this film to make himself look more like his character's older version, played by Bruce Willis. But he doesn't let the makeup do all the work. JGL alters everything about his performance, adopting the soft-spoken whisper Willis deploys as his trademark, effortlessly mimicking many of Willis' facial expressions, and even walking with a different physicality. Despite the fact that we know exactly what Bruce Willis looked like 30 years ago, you never for a moment doubt JGL as being a 30-years-younger version of Bruce Willis.

It could go without saying, but Bruce Willis is also very strong in his role. His character is not merely "the hunted," but takes on a specific mission in the past for intensely personal reasons. The actor has to convey a lot of this emotion and motivation without dialogue, and does so very well.

The supporting cast is filled with a variety of wonderful actors. Emily Blunt is strong as a determined mother of an unusual little boy. Jeff Daniels plays a powerful crime kingpin with relish. Fans of the TV series Covert Affairs will recognize Piper Perabo, while indie movie lovers will enjoy a memorable appearance by Paul Dano. There's also a great and tense turn by the wonderful Garrett Dillahunt, who has excelled in Deadwood and Raising Hope, and every stop in between on the drama-comedy spectrum.

But making perhaps a bigger impression than any of them is young Pierce Gagnon, as the boy being raised by Emily Blunt's character. The story calls for him to be a perfect blend of cute and creepy, of wise and vulnerable. He pulls it off wonderfully, delivering one of the best child actor performances I've seen on film in quite some time.

Those expecting the more wall-to-wall action affair the trailer implies may find the middle chunk of the film a bit slow, but overall Looper is a very compelling and enjoyable movie. I rate it a B+. It's well worth checking out in theaters, or certainly worth catching later when it comes to DVD.