5 Things To Know About Looper

5 Things To Know About Looper

Are you planning on seeing Looper sometime after its release this Friday, yet know little to nothing about the movie itself? Fear not, Bluffmeister. Here are 5 things you should know about 2012's most original, exciting sci-fi blockbuster.

1. The plot.

In the year 2042, a future dominated by gangs and mafia companies, a 25 year old assassin called Joseph Simmons works as a "Looper". Loopers kill and dispose of targets sent back in time by their employers in the year 2072, therefore removing all evidence of the murder in the future - the only rule is to never, EVER, let the target escape. Joseph enjoys his life, reaping the rewards of his easy job with wealth, flash cars and pleasurable company dominating his existence. That is until the day when he recognises one of his targets as his future self, who escapes after overpowering him. The failure of this job causes his employers to go after him, leaving Joseph only one choice - kill his future self, or be killed.

2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Bruce Willis is Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Bruce Willis...

Director Rian Johnson recently stated that, after working with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on 2005's Brick, he wrote Looper as a short story with the actor in mind for the part of Joseph (hence the identical names).  The only question after that was - who to cast as the future version of 2012's golden boy?

The answer - acting legend Bruce Willis. The veteran actor was soon cast as the older, wiser version of Joseph, a man sent back from the future with a warning for his past self - but will young Joe care about a future he can alter at will?

Gordon-Levitt has said that, to prepare for the role, he had to go through 5 hours of prosthetic make-up per day in order to look like a young Willis, while his other research involved downloading audio files of the Die Hard star's movies and learning his speech mannerisms.

3. The Director.

 

Rian Johnson is a visionary film-maker, in the same vein as Christopher Nolan and The Wachowski siblings. His previous directorial and screenwritten works include the Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring Brick, The Brothers Bloom and various episodes of the fantastic TV series Breaking Bad.

Of Looper, Johnson said "This was so much fun to shoot. The crux is 'What would you say or do if you could have a conversation with your future self.' You have these two great actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis) sparring it out for dominance in this scene where they're just talking and trying to figure out their motives." When asked about the use of time travel, he said "It's not really the focus of the movie. It's there, it's used but it's just a vehicle for the plot to move forward. It's much more about how these characters deal with the situation that they're in."

4. The Cast.

Aside from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis portraying the same person, we also have a fantastic supporting cast bringing the shady characters in this futuristic world to life. Amongst these, Jeff Daniels plays Abe, a Looper sent back from the future to initiate the entire organisation of assassins. He acts as a father figure to Joe, offering guidance and encouragement that his job is for the greater good - but is he as trustworthy as he seems? And when the chips are down, how loyal will he really be to Joe?

British actress Emily Blunt also stars as Sara, a single mother who finds herself embroiled in Joe's horrific circumstances when he gatecrashes her life on her farm.

Paul Dano and Noah Segan also star, while Piper Perabo provides support as Suzie, a dancer who frequently sleeps with Joe.

5. The Critics.

So far, Looper has a 93% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating "almost universal acclaim". Empire and TotalFilm have both given the movie 5 stars (Outstanding), with the latter citing it as "The best sci-fi movie since Moon. The best time-travel yarn since 12 Monkeys. And one of the best films of 2012."

You can read my full review of Looper in the next few days. Meanwhile, you can check out the trailer below to get you hyped for the September 28th release date.