The Films of Rian Johnson

Brick

The Brothers Bloom

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Looper (October 3/12)

An impressive step forward for Rian Johnson, Looper follows Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Joe, a futuristic assassin tasked with killing victims sent from the future, as he's forced to question his entire existence after his latest target turns out to be none other than his older self (Bruce Willis). It's a compelling premise that's initially employed to less-than-impressive effect by Johnson, as the writer/director has infused the early part of the proceedings with a style-over-substance feel that prevents one from embracing either the characters or the narrative. (It doesn't help, either, that Gordon-Levitt's Willis-inspired makeup job is never not distracting.) The movie's shift from passable to enthralling arrives at a very specific point, as Johnson offers up a palpably riveting stretch detailing Joe's exploits over a thirty year period - with the effectiveness of this interlude paving the way for a midsection that's often far more engrossing than one might've initially expected. There's little doubt, also, that Looper benefits substantially from Willis' almost incongruously stirring performance (ie he's not, as he's been prone to do as of late, phoning anything in), with the actor's striking work heightened and perpetuated by an impressive supporting cast that includes, among others, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano, and Garret Dillahunt. And although the movie, saddled with a decidedly overlong running time, suffers from a lamentably erratic third act, Looper closes with an unexpectedly moving final stretch that does, in the end, confirm its place as an above-average sci-fi tale.