Skyfall (Bond film of 2012)

Continues with revamping the origin story of character James Bond.  The film shows off Bond's family home in Scotland and you receive a bit of the story of his parents.  Much like what the director and writers did with Casino Royale (2006), but failed to do with Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall explores more of the past of James Bond.


This Bond film did something other Bond films have never done: adapted a heavy theme.  The theme was Old vs. New, something that's obviously been present in many societies throughout history.
For the first time, Bond is portrayed as an aging and semi-washed up 00 agent--perhaps almost dying does that to someone.  With introduction to a new and young Q, Bond, and M, at first has trouble wrapping his head around a world changing and passing the torch to the next generation.
However, as always, Bond shows the world that many of his skills and experience are irreplaceable with the new guys.

Villan is an ex MI6 agent.  In my opinion, those are the best (like Goldeneye).  They know the organization well enough to target it and hurt them hard.

You did good Bond film makers.  Keep up the good work!

One Thing About Scott Pilgram Vs. The World

"I'm what's hip, I'm what's happening, I'm what's blowing up right now"

The final battle scene where Pilgram fights Gideon (Michael Cera and Jason Schwartzman) has more than meets the eye...to my eye.
Think of Jason Schwartzman back in Rushmore era.  He was the awkward teen nerd/dork that got the girl at the end.  His crown of the awkward arrested developed teenager has been passed to Michael Cera.  Cera, who started in Arrested Development, began a career of type casting of the same title Schartzman was in the late 90s.
So, the line that Schartzman says, stating that he is "hip" and "what's happening" is (possibly) the actor coming to the end of his 'awkward but good guy' character career and Cera has definitely taken over the job.
King of the Dorky Good Guys.

LOOPER

Some opening points: 

Looper is one of the best films of the year in my opinion.  It is about a character trying to change the past to create a more enjoyable future or life for himself, while his present self is trying to follow his organization's, and his personal, policies and stop his future self.  It shows how far one will go to change his life for the people he loves. 

The tagline is, "Face your future or fight your past."

The time machine and method not shown much, so it leaves some room for personal speculation.  However, I think not showing much of it makes it an interesting time travel film.

Brief Plot:

The film’s present time is the year 2044.  Time travel isn’t invented until 30 years after (2072 according to imdb.com).  However, mob groups tend to be the sole owner of the time travel technology in the future.  When they want someone gone, they send the hit back to the present (2044) where a hit man called a looper is waiting to kill the future person.  That way, there is no body in the future and the person being killed technically doesn’t exist.  No crime, nice system future mobs.   

To give instructions, the mob or whoever sent one man back to 2044 to be the man in charged of the loopers.  He tells the loopers when and where the hit will come, I’m not sure how there is communication (although one looper tends to use the same spot all the time so each hit is most likely sent to the same space).

Terminology (from the film): 

Closing your loop- a looper killing his/her future self because the mob in the future needs to kill all connections to the looper.

Letting your loop go: a looper, by either accident or purpose, letting his/her loop (the future self) go free.  This causes paradoxes (as seen with Joe and his loop).

BlunderBuster: the shot gun-esque weapon used by loopers.  Supposedly does not have a a good long range.

Dystopian attributes: 

We see many citizens living in a dehumanizing state- povershed community, with a small percent of the wealthy and powerful, the loopers organization (it sounds like America).  We see one leader, one person in charged, with many minions/army at his hand. However, this figurehead does not control the nation, he controls the loopers.  

Jeff Daniels in 2044 and the the Rain Maker in 2074.  Both leaders are from the future.

It’s not a pretty picture of a possible future, but it’s not a society where one figurehead  oppresses everybody, people are still free (although we never see the local and national government).  Also, we only see one or two communities (an American city and a Chinese city) and mostly the inner circle of them. 

There is also a very realist view of a near future, electronics wise.  There are hover bikes, which don’t work half the time, cell/video phones that are just sheets of clear plastic, robots for showering pesticides on fields, etc.  Paints a realistic evolution of where technology is heading in the next 30 years.

There is also some genetic advances in a small percent among the population.  The film shows a realistic view of mutants or mutations in genetics (the TKs).  There is a small group of the population that are telekinetic, however, most of them can only use their powers to float quarters to impress others.

Actors & Acting: Joseph Gorden-Levitt (JGL) having similar mannerisms to Bruce Willis (BW), excellent choice using Bruce Willis (time travel film experience, 12 Monkeys).

Jeff Bridges small role, I like him as an actor.

Cinephotography: Excellent use of shadows in scene with bum, builds cheap suspense, but still works.

Many shots give the audience goosebumps: scene with Sid yelling, shot of BW’s reflection in puddle.  

Interesting point: changing time seems to be possible, paradoxes are possible in this film’s universe.  

When old Joe (BW) came back and didn’t get killed, he began causing paradoxes to happen just by staying in the past.  Present Joe (JLG) begins to do things that old Joe didn’t do originally, causing an alternate timeline or reality (maybe this means the film uses the multiverse theory or it’s just the simple/typical time travel philosophy where we can change things in one reality, like Back to the Future).  

I thought they were playing a cyclical time line, one that couldn’t change or couldn’t make big changes at least, until the end of the film.  Joe (JGL) sees a cycle and stops it before it starts.

One could argue that present Joe killing himself makes old Joe disappear, even though they are now from two different realities, in theory.  However, Old Joe (BW) coming back and changing things in the past will obviously cause old Joe to change as well.  Both present Joe and Old Joe are the same character, and what happens to one will affect the other.  Old Joe’s life, as seen in the film, is in the process of deleting itself as old Joe continues to stay in the present and cause other events to occur

Brilliant film, overall.

Leave a comment: 

What's your favorite time travel film?

Reasons

Since taking Film Studies at Florida Southern College, I've enjoyed watching, analyzing, and criticizing  films of all kind.  So, here are some of my thoughts on some films I've seen.
I am in need of an editor if there are any takers.