Perhaps the most original idea developed by Hollywood in years, Looper delivers a complex plot that has viewers constantly changing which character they root for. The year is the 2044 and Joe Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a mafia hitman, also known as a Looper. Although time travel does not exists in Joe’s world, it has been invented by 2074. Immediately outlawed, time-travel is then only used by illegal crime syndicates to kill and dispose of bodies without a trace.
Bodies are sent to Joe in 2044 where he immediately kills them, and drops them in a furnace without anyone ever noticing. Joe is paid well and lives a comfortable life as he frequents a nightclub and saves his bounty to move to France. A caveat about Loopers is at some point their contract will be expire with the Looper killing their future self, a process known as “closing the loop.”
After witnessing all of his friends’ loops close, Joe can’t help but wonder when he will be next. One day Joe is waiting to kill his target until he appears and bears a too striking a resemblance to Joe. Startled younger Joe hesitates, giving older Joe (Bruce Willis) enough time to escape. After playing cat and mouse for a short while, the two meet at a diner. Old Joe reveals he intends to he has tracked down “The Rainmaker,” the future mob leader responsible for closing all the loops. The only problem is “The Rainmaker” is one of three possible five-year-old boys and Old Joe intends to track down and kill them all.
Thus a race develops as Young Joe tries to track down and kill Old Joe to close the loop before he can kill all three boys. Young Joe’s task is made especially more difficult as he has to avoid being captured by the current mafia to fulfill his contract and follow his dreams. The ending might shock you, but the movie will definitely entertain you.
In addition to the complex plot, writer/director Rian Johnson did a beautiful job creating a futuristic dystopian world. He also touches on the concept morality. A contract killer, a habitual drug user, and betrayer, Joe is a clear anti-hero the audience can’t help but root for. Lastly, the make-up department deserves much praise. After doing sophisticated face molds of each actor, Gordon-Levitt had make-up applied daily ranging from three to four hours in length to make him appear more like Willis with a solid end result.
I highly recommend Looper. It’s a fresh story in the exceptionally trite world of Hollywood storytelling.
Final Grade: 8 out of 10.
I liked how the movie dealt with the often convoluted concept of time travel. In particular, the scene in which both Joes are at the diner for the first time, and old Joe says "I don't want to talk about time travel, because if we starting talking about it we'll be here all day...". Great review, 10/10, would read again.
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