Looper - Trailer

Poster via Collider

Whether reinventing film noir for high school and lo-fi daylight in Brick, or having globe trotting, highbrow, post-modern fun with big names in The Brothers Bloom, or helming the loved / hated Fly episode of Breaking Bad, Rian Johnson has already established himself as an intelligent and endlessly inventive writer / director.

This year he takes on Sci Fi and time travel in what looks to be a nifty, brain frying little thriller. Casting Bruce Willis as the future version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an odd choice that necessitated Gordon-Levitt's ostensibly effective face alteration make up, and will hopefully pay off in the context of the completed film. At the very least, a smart summer thriller with a sharp premise. At the very best, a new sci fi classic.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50, Hesher & Riaan Johnson' Looper

The kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun has grown up into one heckuva indie movie star - with Mysterious Skin, Brick, The Lookout, Stop-Loss, 500 Days of Summer & Inception on his resume, he is primed to hit the big time.

He's clearly been hard at work & has will be showing up in a few promising projects: technically last year's Hesher & up-coming 50/50, Looper & The Dark Knight Rises.

In Hesher he plays a crazy, greasy piece of metalhead work who comes into the lives of a lonely boy & his father (Rainn Wilson). Film looks so-so, but it's an interesting character for Gordon-Levitt. Produced by & co-starring Natalie Portman, which is never a bad thing (oh wait, No Strings Attached... bad Natalie!).

50 / 50 is a black comedy of a different kind, where Gordon-Levitt plays a 27-year-old diagnosed with cancer. Apparently inspired by personal experiences, it offers a meaty role for Levitt, especially in pulling off the comedy angle without losing the heart. Co-starring Seth Green, Anjelica Huston, Bryce Dallas Howard & Anna Kendrick. Classy cast.

Most exciting of all, Looper reunites Levitt with Brick director Rian Johnson as 'a killer who works for the mob of the future who recognises one of his targets as his future self'. Nice sci-fi premise, if executed well. Rian Johnson's Brick was a high-concept creative risk that worked thrillingly on all levels. His follow up, The Brothers Bloom, was good, quirky & poignant fun, so I am super excited about this. With Bruce Willis & Emily Blunt.

And then, of course, Chris Nolan's third & final Batman instalment, The Dark Knight Rises, in which Levitt will be playing not The Riddler, but John Blake, a new Gotham Detective who joins Commissioner Gordon's squad to catch Batman. Closest traceable reference for the character is the blonde kid in Jack Schiff / Bob Kane's Comedy of Tears (thanks to the guys at Bleeding Cool for the brilliant research).