If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes . . .
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
Director: Denis Villeneuve
The Plot: Set 30 years after the original film, Officer "K" (Gosling), a replicant, is a Blade Runner working for the LAPD, tasked with hunting down older illegal replicants. On his latest assignment he discovers evidence that a replicant woman once gave birth to a child - something that should not be possible. Tasked with finding and "retiring" the child, K's investigation leads him to his predecessor Rick Deckard (Ford), but he isn't the only one searching - the Wallace Corporation, creators of the replicants, are prepared to use deadly force to wipe out all knowledge of the incident . . .
Review: To say that the original 1982 Blade Runner is a cult classic is a bit of an understatement. It's popularity has endured over the years, and director Ridley Scott (amongst others) has tinkered with the story numerous times, resulting in something like eight different cuts of the film being available with more than one different ending. A sequel, then, needs to be something special in order to satisfy the hardcore fans of the original, many of whom were loudly negative when 2049 was announced.
I, personally, am not one of those hardcore fans. I know for a fact I've seen the film twice: once when I was about eleven, watching a VHS copy my Dad had recorded from TV, and I remember being very bored by it - let's face it, eleven was too young to understand the film really, and the kind of sci-fi I was looking for at the time was Star Wars, which Blade Runner clearly was not. I saw the film again later at university whilst doing my film degree, and while I was able to appreciate it more then (particularly Rutger Hauer's iconic final monologue) it still didn't leave much of an impression on me. I remember little about it, and I don't know which cut (or cuts) that I saw. So, I deliberately made the choice not to watch the film again before going in to 2049, as the film arrives to two distinct audiences - one generation who saw and remember the original, and a generation who hasn't. I was interested to see how the film would play out for me, with my vague recollections of being unimpressed with the original and my worry about it's two hour, forty-three minute run time.
Well, I'm delighted to report that this film is utterly fantastic. I was blown away by it, and it genuinely surpassed all expectations (and allayed all fears) that I had. This is a masterful piece of science fiction that has been exquisitely crafted and should not only win over a new generation of fans, but also satisfy those hardcore fans of the original. It's really that good.
Let's start by talking about that run time. Two hours and forty-three minutes is a long time to ask anyone to sit in a cinema screen. Possibly the biggest compliment that I can give the film is that I really didn't notice it at all - I was so gripped, so utterly absorbed in what was going on, that it genuinely didn't feel as long as it is. That's a testament to the quality of the storytelling, the performances and the visuals. But that's not to say this this is a fast-paced film - it isn't. It's sedate, taking its time to get from place to place, but what's going on is so interesting that this isn't indulgent. This is something that really impressed me.
2049 is a very visual film, and it's completely stunning to look at. The general look of the world was already established by the original Blade Runner, so what we have here is a more up-to-date presentation using modern technology. This isn't a shiny, clean look at the future - this is dark, and grim. The neon-soaked megalopolis of Los Angeles is covered by a layer of dirt and grime, permanently blanketed by grey clouds and pouring rain. It's an oddly beautiful environment, whether we're sweeping across the skies with K in his flying car or walking down the densely-packed streets as huge neon advertisements come to life. In complete contrast to this is the remains of Las Vegas, a dusty, irradiated ruin with a population of one. There's beauty in this location too, of a different kind. There's some fantastic cinematography on display in the film which, combined with the electronica score from Hans Zimmer that swells with synthesisers, make this a real treat for the senses.
The story itself is an excellent one, a compelling journey that has elements of a crime thriller to it as K investigates the history surrounding the replicant child, but also offers an incredibly satisfying arc as K undergoes a personal journey, questioning his own origins and allegiances, driven by memories that may or may not be his own and the suggestion that he could possibly be the child in question. Everything flows logically (and for the most part sedately, as already mentioned), the action moments are excellent, characters and tropes from the original film are used well (including a very brief cameo from Sean Young as Rachael) and it leads to an emotional conclusion.
Gosling is fantastic in the central role as K. As a replicant his character has been created to be unemotional and obedient, so this is a quiet, focused performance akin to his previous turns in Drive or Only God Forgives. He has more dialogue here, but it's in the moments when he deals with the memories that may or may not belong to him, giving the tantalising prospect that he was born rather than manufactured, and in his interactions with his holographic wife Joi (more on her in a moment), that he really shines.I won't spoil the story obviously, but these scenes are fantastic, completely emotional despite his character's lack of emotional display, and utterly believable.
Ford gives what I felt is his best recent performance to date, despite having what's essentially an extended cameo (don't be fooled by his co-billing and prominence on the poster, it's over an hour and half into the film before Deckard is re-introduced). This is a different version of Deckard, bitter after thirty years of self-enforced seclusion, and Ford plays it well. That said, there is one brief, embarrassing shot of him running where he looks every bit the seventy-five year-old man he is, but other than that he still looks the part, even in a fist-fight with K.
The rest of the supporting cast are also very good: Jared Leto as the sinister Niander Wallace, Sylvia Hoeks as Wallace's enforcer replicant Luv, and Robin Wright as K's commanding officer. But I was impressed most of all with Ana de Armas as K's AI wife Joi. This is a wonderful turn from an actress that only earlier this year I witnessed being saddled with a role of stereotypical eye-candy in the woeful Overdrive. Here, as a holographic woman unable to physically touch the man she's been programmed to love, she makes the character seem completely real, despite the terrific visual effects used to make her translucent at times. There are shades of Spike Jonze's Her going on with K and Joi's relationship, including a scene where she buys a prostitute so that she can "be" with K for one night, and the fate of her character and the effect it has on K is utterly heartbreaking. It's a fantastic performance.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
An absolutely terrific film that exceeded all expectations that I had for it. Visually stunning, with terrific performances and a storyline that grips from start to finish and makes the incredibly long run time fly by. Brilliantly directed by Villeneuve, this is a masterful science-fiction experience that honours the original while confidently standing up on its own. A must see.
No comments:
Post a Comment