It is the Return of the Iconic LOOPER

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Rian Johnson and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the 10^th Anniversary since the release of LOOPER.

Kansas City in 2044 and Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works for a crime organization as a looper. Using a looper means one can send an enemy back in time to be disposed of conveniently and this is all run by Abe (Jeff Daniels). There is a little glitch in being a looper because after a certain amount of time – loopers meet themselves to ‘close the loop’.

Now, a man named Seth (Paul Dano) tells Joe that he has failed to close a loop and now everyone is in jeopardy as the Rainmaker wants to take out bosses. The Gat men are now on the hunt for Joe who seems to jump time to avoid being captured. Continually trying to alter history, there is no escape.

Old Joe (Bruce Willis) is affected by everything young Joe does and has memories of everything. When the two meet, Old Joe makes it clear he wants to save his wife and take out the Rainmaker. The only way they can find him is by markings on a map that could tell them everything they need to know.

Joe’s information leads to a farm where Sara (Emily Blunt) lives. She recognizes the numbers as her son Cid’s (Pierce Gagnon) birthday and more importantly the hospital where he was born. Old Joe is going there to do something heinous as another Gat Man comes to the farm where Cid and Joe have to hid.

Sara confesses that she and her son have telekinetic gifts and when put to the test, Cid uses them to save his mother. Old Joe and young Joe have unfinished business and Sara will do everything a mother would to protect her child.

There is only one way out!

Gordon-Levitt as Young Joe gets the opportunity to play opposite another iconic actor as his younger self. When the film was released 10 years ago, I did not think they looked much alike but that did not stop me from enjoying the dance between them. Gordon-Levitt is good at the no-emotion dead stare of his character but there are ‘human’ moments that shine through.

Willis as Old Joe gave us all a look into how he would continue to give us action films. When LOOPER was made, the world already knew he had amazing chops and this film, although still being picked apart by fans, stands firm. Old Joe is a man on a mission, and he does not see the right or wrong in what he is attempting to do and the focus on this actor’s face is everything.

Blunt as Sara is a protective mother who has her own secrets to hide. When young Joe shows up it seems the cat is out of the bag but that does not stop her from pointing a weapon in any face that gets in her way. Gagnon as son Cid has a few tricks up his own sleeve and when push comes to shove, he can cause more mischief than any looper.

Daniels as Abe runs a tight ship and there is not much leeway in what he wants done. He sees what is happening, what is to come and how there is only one option. I just adore Daniels in the choices of roles that are consistently different and pure – well, Daniels. Shout out to Paul Dano, another one of my favorite actors for his epic demise but important contribution to the story!

Other cast includes Noah Segan as Kid Blue, Piper Perabo as Suzie, Summer Qing as Joe’s Wife, Tracie Thomas as Beatrix, Garrett Dillahunt as Jesse, Nick Gomez as Dale and Franke Brennan as Old Seth.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Materials include in the 4K Ultra HD Disc are Feature Presentation in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, and All-New Director-Approved Dolby Atmos Audio. The Bonus Materials on the Bluray Disc are Feature Presentation in High Definition, Feature Commentary with Director Rain Johnson, Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Emily Blunt, Looper: The Future from Beginning, 22 Deleted Scenes, Scoring Looper, The Science of Time Travel Featurette and Looper Animated Trailer. 

LOOPER is one for the books because, ten years later, still has people asking the question ‘what did I just see?’. It has stood the test of time and is just as fascinating to watch now as it was the first time the film hit theatres.

There were so many twists and turns the first time I saw the film in 2012 that seeing it once again I have caught nuisances that I did not even consider before. The film is still strange, fascinating, unusual and worth every moment of the one hundred- and eighteen-minute running time.

Sony did themselves proud in re-releasing this film making it available to add to everyone’s home entertainment library. There is the discussion of the colliding of these two Joe’s where one wants his riches and the other wants his love and how far each will go to get what they want. Willis and Gordon-Levitt are stellar and allow us all to see the Joe’s go at it.

In the end – hunted by your future and haunted by your past!

Amazon Studios Brings the Emergency Code 7500 to Prime

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Amazon’s own channel Amazon Prime this Thursday from writer/director Patrick Vollrath is a dilemma that one man must face when calling 7500.

Captain Lutzmann (Carlo Kitzlinger) and co-pilot Tobias Ellis (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are flying an Airbus A319 from Berlin to Paris. Sharing the ride is stewardess Gokce (Aylin Tezel) who is mother of Ellis’ young son. Keeping work and home life separate, a very few know they are a couple. The take off goes smoothly and they are quickly in the air.

Within minutes of the flight, a disturbance happens outside as terrorist Kalkan (Passar Hariky), Kenan (Murathan Muslu) and young Vedat (Omid Memar) attempt to gain entry to the cockpit. The pilot is wounded as Ellis manages to keep two out and knowing out the third. Trying to help the pilot, it becomes clear that Ellis is going to have to fly the plane.

Kalkan and Vedat continue to pound on the door making it clear they are going to do whatever it takes to gain entry. Kalkan goes as far as to threaten the lives of passenger’s if the door isn’t opened. Vedat translates to Ellis but one thing is clear – Ellis can not open the door.

Knowing that it is Kalkan who is in control, Ellis tries reason, but it only agitates the situation. Now Ellis must rely on his composure when everything seems out of control and do everything possible until they are able to land. Each moment brings the flight closer to being able to land – but will it?

Gordon-Levitt as Ellis brings a powerful performance to a frightening story. Making plans for his young son’s education seemed to be the only care he had. When the hijacking starts, Gordon-Levitt is uber-focused, and it shows every frame of the film. The power in each thing that happens is intense, yet this actor adds a drop more for good measure until you realize you have blinked in a while. Excellent performance with an topic that is difficult to address.

Hariky as Kalkan is determined and nothing or no one will get in the way of his ultimate goal. Even when it seems everything is falling apart, Hariky’s character stares into the camera outside the cockpit with a glare that exudes fear and says, “try me!”.

Memar as Vedat is a young man that is absolutely troubled by what is happening but also feels a sense of hopelessness when he realizes this is not what he expected. Wanting to do what’s right as a person and what he’s been told is right as a hijacker, I think Vedat becomes more and more dangerous because of the fear he feels. There is a moment when the phone rings and Vedat falls apart that is nothing short of heartbreaking.

Other cast include: Hicham Sebiai as Hopper, Paul Wollin as Daniel, Cornel Nussbaum as Peter, Max Schimmelpfennig as the student and Nathalie (Aurelie Thepaut).

Amazon Prime offers television shows and original content included in its Amazon Prime subscription. Original programs such as CARNIVAL ROW, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL are hit shows. Coming soon is the next series with GOLIATH starring Billy Bob Thornton and it promises to another successful and intense series.

7500 brings every bead of intensity and it is palpable from start to finish. It twists, turns and does not go the way that is expected but, then again, that would make for a movie of the week instead of a well-done film by Amazon Studios.

Shot in real time and an amazing set that feels and looks like the cockpit of an airplane only lends believability to the story. Even the sounds of the aircraft and the lights lend itself to a character that the story is trying to tell.

What starts as a five man show whittles its way down to a one on one and who can keep it together until the situation is resolved. That is when the minutes drag by so slowly and it is Gordon-Levitt as Ellis who the viewer counts on to do what is right and make the hard choices– no matter the cost. When they refer to the people as “souls on board”, this films situation brings that more into focus.

Watch on a big screen, watch with the lights down and watch performances that will stay with you long after the story ends.

In the end – the distress code is only the beginning!