I don't know whether we could call "Looper" truly original, because usually the bold use of this word in the face of modern artwork means pure and simple gaps in personal knowledge. The film bears the scars and is reminded of fantastic (and not only) classics, but against the backdrop of endless sequels and remakes, and all the other rip-offs that flood us everywhere in recent years is like a true revelation. The year is 2044. Time travel is not yet invented, but 30 years ahead in the future will only be instantly outlawed and used only by the largest criminal organizations. When they want to get rid of someone, they send him back in time when special mercenaries called "Loopers" liquidate it and get rid of the body without a trace. One of these mercenaries is Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). He methodically and unconditionally performs his duties until his next victim turns out to be his older version (Bruce Willis).

![Looper-Movie-poster.jpeg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNtcxxMPLFAsCJ5cMbiUEDREqJhPiNEdhTPAk5nLpVbZw/Looper-Movie-poster.jpeg)

"Looper" is of this type of movie, the less you know, the better. So why do I share the story? First, because it's a small part of the story that does not in any way give the main intrigue in the movie (let me just say that Joe's having to liquidate his future self is not unusual, even on the contrary, at a time with each looper has to be dealt with - the "closing the loop" and one is retirement with a gold bonus and a predictable ending) and secondly because it gives an idea of ​​some of the psychological dimensions and philosophical issues hidden behind the purely entertaining side of movie, and I think that's important. Director and screenwriter is Ryan Johnson, who, just after two big movies ( "Brothers Bloom" and "Brick"), established himself as one of the most interesting and original young artists working at the moment. The way he builds the picture of the future - fantastic and distant but at the same time hell-familiar and familiar - is more than impressive, but the more important is how he lives this future with full-fledged, interesting images and how he uses the elements of the genre to tell a more interesting and profound story that is both personal and universal. In other words, it subordinates the form of history and ideas, not the opposite, as with much of the shiny hollow shells that go to fantastic films nowadays. Interesting is also the way Johnson approaches one of the most important elements and often a problem of time travel films - paradoxes. Inner logic is subject to well-known rules, and so part of the story that relies on this element acquires (as much as possible) a certain amount of realism and credibility. Or, if we use the words of Bruce Willis in one of the key scenes of the film, we do not have to spend hours drawing diagrams to grasp the meaning and logic of events. Of course, there are one or two hanging threads, but the implications that they can bring to them remain beyond the history. And we do not have to think much of it, because, as the Jeff Daniels hero says, all the work around time travel will fry our brains.


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Another strong side of the film is acting. Joseph Gordon-Lewit is not a super favorite, but he has proven himself to be doing so (and quite a lot) and here he performs another performance - his imitation of Bruce Willis's manners (the posture, the way he smiles and talks ) is "spot on". Based on the trailer, his makeup, which made him look like Willis physically, seemed to me a bloody idea - the audience has long been able to assume that two actors of different ages are the same hero, even if they do not quite resemble - but in the movie and in combination with Levitt's performance, it definitely works! Bruce Willis has made one of his strongest roles for years. There is a lot of "good old" bored, but thrifty, sympathetic and at the same time dangerous Bruce, which fits nicely with his image. Emily Blount is also on the edge, and as a bonus in tune with the rest, her character is far from being a flat one-dimensional application, as is typical of female images in such films. Cherry on the cake are the supporting actors in the face of Gareth Dilaant, Paul Daino, Pierce Ganyon and above all Jeff Daniels, as the chief of the looper, which is more than excellent in its short screen time. As a small minus I can point out that after the dynamic and intriguing touch, in the second half the film is losing speed and I'm not sure that the necessity of the characteristic (but Western) lull for tension before the final outcome is enough justification for that. It is true that there is also a need to slow down the pace of developing one of the important characters but the disturbed rhythm is present. Someone could also put aside that part of the mini-rolls and the general direction of the film are easily predictable, but more importantly, how do we get to the key moments, not how surprising they are? The same goes for the final - you may find it obvious, but it does not make it less spectacular and satisfactory.

"Looper" is a grim, intriguing, extremely well-done and quite intelligent fantastic thriller that we do not have the ability to watch every day. It is a pleasure to see that American cinema is still capable of telling interesting and fascinating stories that are capable of provoking imagination. I realize that not all people fall on such genre films, but this is one of the rare occasions when you could appreciate something that you are not generally to like it, and that is why I strongly recommend it.


image source [1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276104/), [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276104/)