Review: "Looper"

What I'm about to describe is one of the creepiest scenes I've witnessed at the movies this year:

In order to bring a man from the future out of hiding, a mafia syndicate captures his present self, and slowly tortures him. First, a message appears carved into the future man's arm, telling him to meet at a specific place and time. Then, fingers go missing. Soon, his tongue is gone. His feet next. Eventually, he is crawling to the location, where he is then executed. The present self is on a hospital bed, with blood everywhere.

For me, it isn't the fact that the future self wasted away in moments that I find frightening; it's that the present self must still live his life - dismembered and broken - for these events to happen.

Time travel as a weapon. Did you really think we'd use it for anything else?

"Looper" may not officially be a horror film, but it features some scary sequences and themes, as good sci fi should. It is mostly set in 2042 Kansas, where it appears that gangland violence and poverty have only gotten worse - at least we finally get hovering motorcycles. We follow Joe, a gangster known as a looper; someone who eliminates targets sent from the mob of the future, to his present. When his newest target - his future self - escapes, Joe gets in trouble with his boss, and must hunt himself to make things right. But, is it as simple as that?

With time travel, nothing is "simple". You see, there's the "12 Monkeys" (time cannot be changed) way of presenting time travel, and the "Back to the Future" (time can be changed, and multiple possibilities exist) method. "Looper" kind of has a variation closer to - believe it or not - "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". In that movie, characters will tell themselves to go back in time and grab an object, and BOOM - the object appears in their hand, negating the need to go back in time. While that scenario doesn't play out in our story, similar paradoxical situations are offered. If you're not careful, your egg could fry like a brain.

The arc(s) of Joe (both of them) and how it is presented may be the best aspect of the story. There's a beautiful symmetry of personality happening here, as the two versions of the same man occupy the same space and time, and a wonderful irony when we see how the conflicts change both the present and future selves. A nomination for best screenplay is not out of the question, I say. 

If given the opportunity, would you kill child Hitler in order to prevent atrocities? What if you fail, and end up being the reason for the creation of the monster you tried to destroy? Could you live with that? Could you stop that? Can the chain be broken and the loop cut? I thought about this on the ride home after the screening.

It's chaotic, it's dark, and it's what I want out of sci fi. Characters are forced to make impossible choices in an almost impossible to grasp universe. The consequences of these choices reverberate backwards and forwards in time. Through such a nightmarish landscape, errors will be corrected and humanity will be revealed.

Great story, great acting, great effects, really great music and a perfect atmosphere make for one of the best films of the year. Go see it; your future self will thank you.

5/5 *'s

Review: "0s & 1s"

Cross posted from InvadeNOLA and MoviePass:

When I was making the transition from elementary to middle school, my family had just gotten AOL - which, at the time, was a major IP. Before this, we had only used the computer as a video game system and word processor. Now, we can chat with users in other countries!  Incredible!

Almost two decades later, the technology has improved; from dial up to DSL, from by the minute to by the month, from chat room to social network, and from computer to phone/tablet/tv. Everyone is now reachable at just the click of a button. Any button.

But, almost two decades later, has the technology improved or worsened our social skills? Is so much access overkill?

James Pongo is about to learn something about himself. He enjoys a wired lifestyle that allows him to stay connected to old friends and keep enough physical distance from the ones he dislikes. But, when his laptop goes missing, James is forced to *gasp* confront people in an effort to get back his all important tool.

"0s & 1s" is the story not only of a generation, but of where we are at right now. There is a relatable anxiety going on here. I'll admit that it's easier for me to send an email or a tweet than to meet the actual person in a real world setting. There is something now uncomfortable and almost unfamiliar about communicating face to face. Whenever I leave the house, I hook my phone on my holster (yes, a holster). When I get home, I check my inbox, my facebook newsfeed and my twitter stream. I keep my browser up for days on end. I'm so attentive to all of this, I even get annoyed when an email isn't responded to quickly enough. Social etiquette? Is that a thing?

The film doesn't just express this problem through the story itself, but through the visuals as well. When the movie begins, and James wakes, a computer boots up, and a desktop appears. His real life is then represented by various digital components - chat room conversations, social network profiles, video games, DVR platforms, texting, viruses, etc. Screens and windows are everywhere. It's so oversaturated, but oh so familiar and comfortable. This IS where we are at.

During Hurricane Isaac, we lost power for two days. I used up my macbook and mp3 player battery power pretty fast. I was almost lost without my online self. But, at my low point, I reached up and picked a book. Then, I opened it, and read a few chapters. I may have lost one connection, but I still had another one; a more important one. But man, was I glad when the lights on my router came back on.

5/5 *'s

>>>> This film will be making its New Orleans debut on Sept. 27th at The Alamo Underground... but only if we can secure at least 10 tickets. Go to Local Screen right now and make this happen!

Review: "Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then"

I've never read Don Quixote. A downloaded version of the classic sits inside a folder in my computer, but I have yet to double click on the icon; I just keep putting it off. Of course, I've already spoiled the story for myself thanks to wikipedia, but still... What am I waiting for? Why do I leave it there?

Maybe I ought to delete it.

When Leonard Woods' wife Mary became ill, he began to build her a house. Not just for them to live in, but to serve as a healing machine for her. Oblong shapes, numbered stairs, unconventional ceiling heights and floor levels would, in his mind, be the cure; a way to reach the heavens and invoke a miracle. She died despite this. And he continued to build, despite that.

Does prayer work? "Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then" really made me ask that question seriously. I was raised Roman Catholic, but was always told by my parents that there were other possibilities out there. At this moment, I don't follow any religion, and subscribe more to Arthur C. Clarke than King James.

When I was in therapy for OCD, I was told that positive thinking could help me in getting through certain anxiety ridden scenarios. I now look at the act of prayer as a form of this. And, while thinking positively did indeed help, I realize now that I was in control. Why should I have to communicate to someone I've never met or seen when I can just accomplish what I need to myself? Talk about tilting at windmills. 

Maybe I ought to read the damn thing already.

Through this hopelessly romantic tale, director Brent Green is put in the duel role of both director and narrator/viewer. He ponders about religion, blind faith and even the nature of pondering. His voice goes from steady to uneasy. His thoughts go from his own to those of Leonard. His own philosophy - how he interprets the real life story the movie is based on and how he relates with Leonard despite their differing beliefs - is actually the second story here. And, in a way, the attempt at understanding how a house can cure someone is just as silly as, well, building a house that can cure someone. Talk about tilting at windmills.

This film acts as a loving, essayic, musical poem. The stop motion live action evokes both the feel of a silent movie and of an alternate world, an alternate mindset. The music, performed live and in front of the screen, provides such wonderful emotion - it may be the best score to any movie you'll see this year. These elements combined make up one of the most imaginative and moving performances I've ever seen in a motion picture.

The main characters' actions may be both futile and foolish, but they are also admirable and beautiful; can you say that you loved someone as much as Leonard loved his wife? Can you say you have been so fascinated by a person as Brent Green is by Leonard?

In the end, I guess practicing and trying to understand religion are both just quixotic acts. The director even states, "Our nets are just not big enough" to comprehend it all. I think I relate more to Sancho Panza than Quixote himself. I'm the guy that acknowledges the reality, but will ride along with the person who sees only the fantasy. Does that make me more foolish? Maybe I should read the book this weekend.

5/5 *'s

Solo Thoughts Episode 4

Yes, I liked "Clerks 2". Yes, I liked "Synecdoche, New York". And yes, I survived Hurricane Isaac. Hear me talk about all three!