Looper

A movie about time-traveling assassins who blow their targets’ guts out with blunderbusses sounds more like a bad video game adaptation than a tearjerker.

That is why writer-director Rian Johnson deserves huge cinematic props for turning “Looper” into one of the most emotionally-charged and complex films of the year.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, one of 2044’s finest loopers — men who wait in fields to kill victims sent back to them from the future. Everything changes when Joe’s next mark is an older version of himself (Bruce Willis). Throw lost love and telekinesis into the mix and things get crazy.

It’s confusing to say the least but give “Looper” time to bring you up to speed. The film pulses with action and feeling. And every time the movie messes with your head, it delivers a shock to your heart. Gordon-Levitt and Willis are terrific at emulating each other’s expressions.

“Looper” is a refreshingly original, brilliant thriller that does the last thing you would expect it to: make you care.

By Mina Asayesh-Brown