Looper

Looper, by Rian Johnson, 2012

Most Hollywood science fiction movies kind of come and go.  I mean, look back at the 90's, they came out all the time, but only a handful of them are even remembered, and even fewer fondly.  The ones that stick around are the smart, thoughtful ones with vividly imagined worlds and thought-provoking ideas.  Not far into Rian Johnson's latest film, Looper, I realized that this is going to be one of those movies that science fiction fans are still watching and talking about 30 years from now.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a man employed by organized crime to kill people sent back from the future.  They pay him well, with the understanding that sooner or later, he will have to "close the loop", by killing his future self.  Things go awry when his future self (Bruce Willis) gets the drop on him and escapes.  Now Joe must---

Jim!  We have to hurry!

What?  Who are you?

Don't you recognize me?  I'm the you of 2042.

Oh my god, it is you, me.  Why are you here?

I came back to warn you that 30 years from now, nobody is watching or talking about Looper. 

Oh no!  How can this be?

It's our fault.  It's our review, Jim!  It was so poorly written that President Honey Boo Boo had the movie outlawed.  Real Steel is being played 24 hours a day on 3-D supertelevisions around the globe.

NOOOOOOOO!!  I have to stop this horrible future from happening.  But HOW?

There's only one thing we can do...

What...?  What are you doing with that gun, future me?  No.. NO!

I'm sorry, young me, it's for the good of the future...

*BLAM!*

He... he shot me... then disappeared... that must... mean... I'm not going to... make it.  Only... time... for one last act.  Must click... Publish... tell the people... about... LOOPER... never forget...  Tell my wife I...

Safety Not Guaranteed

I'm not sure if everybody has seen the popular internet meme that Safety Not Guaranteed is based on, but I'm guessing there's a pretty good chance. It began as a joke want ad in a small magazine in 1997, that read:

Over the years, the ad has spread over the internet, appeared on television and attained a sort of notoriety. The choice of words were brilliantly deadpan. It was hard to tell if whoever placed the ad was serious or not. The premise of Colin Trevorrow's film is, "what if the ad was written by a man who was dead serious?"

Aubrey Plaza stars as Darius, an intern at a Seattle based magazine, chosen to accompany a reporter, Jeff (Jake Johnson), on a trip to find and interview the man who placed the ad, and see what his deal is. The man in question is Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a clerk at a small town grocery store with a mullet and ever-present jean jacket, paranoid and mistrustful of strangers, and seen by locals to be a little off. Darius is recruited to talk to him and try to win him over and get him to open up.

Problems, of course, arise when Darius begins to like Kenneth. They're both unhappy and damaged by events of their past, and she finds a kindred spirit in him. He seems to genuinely believe in his time travel theories, and at times, seems to seriously know what he's talking about. Darius is skeptical but sympathetic and must decide whether or not to take a leap of faith in the guy. That's the whole theme of the movie, having the guts to take that leap, and believe in somebody.

I really enjoyed Safety Not Guaranteed. It was simple, quirky, upbeat, and heartfelt. The performances were great, especially Plaza and Duplass. Plaza will probably be a star someday, and Duplass, also a producer on the film, has been turning up all over the place lately. Jake Johnson was funny, as was Karan Soni as the soft-spoken, nerdy second intern on the trip.

The ending is particularly satisfying. The movie skirts the line on whether or not we're watching a science fiction film or not. Are Kenneth's theories legit, or is he nuts? I won't tell. It's up to you to take the leap and see the movie.

Midnight in Paris

I haven't watched any of Woody Allen's recent movies since Scoop, so I don't know how he's been doing lately, but based on the overall integrity his huge body of work, he'll always be one of my favorite filmmakers. He's made some stinkers in his time, but when he's on, his movies shine.

Midnight in Paris is one of those shiny movies, a whimsical fantasy about the magic of Paris; the city's ability to transport you to another time. At the same time, it's also a dose of reality. The past can never live up to the nostalgia-laced version you see in your mind's eye. It is very much a companion piece to Allen's classic, The Purple Rose of Cairo.

Owen Wilson stars as Gil Pender, a successful screenwriter of hacky Hollywood movies, trying to launch a more fulfilling career as a novelist. On a visit to Paris with his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams), he expresses his desire to stay in the city and live a Bohemian life like his heroes of the 1920's. Inez scoffs at this, and encourages Gil to spend time with her parents (Tea Party Republicans who don't like him) and know-it-all friends.

Fed up with the people in his life, Gil opts out of yet another night out, and chooses to wander the streets of Paris. At midnight, a 1920's car rolls up and waves him in. Inside, he finds the life he always dreamed of. He befriends F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso. He shows his manuscript and takes writing advice from Gertrude Stein. He meets and falls in love with Picasso's mistress, Adriana (Marion Cotillard).

Soon, Gil is carrying out a love affair with the 1920's, spending his days in the cold reality of today, and his nights living it up with his heroes in the past. Eventually his night life gets complicated, too, though, and Gil must decide between his two lives.

I do believe this is the best Owen Wilson has been in a movie in ages. Since Royal Tenenbaums, perhaps? Heck, maybe ever. This is exactly the kind of movie he should be making. He's great at playing intelligent, soul searching, existential characters. I always thought his diversion down the path of dumb "Frat Pack" comedies like Wedding Crashers was a mistake (though I do love Zoolander). In Midnight in Paris, Wilson plays the Woody Allen analogue without doing a Woody Allen impression, something I never enjoy as much. My favorite moments were the dumbfounded look on his face when he realizes where he is, and the scene where he confesses that he's from the future to Salvador Dali and his surrealist friends.

Midnight in Paris is a delight. It is my favorite Woody Allen film that I've seen since 1999's Sweet and Lowdown. I never hammered down a list or anything, but I would probably also put it somewhere in my top 10 for 2011, and hey, it might even creep its way into my top 10 favorite Woody Allen movies! The guy has a LOT of great movies, so this is high praise indeed.