☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Minority Report (2002) – S. Spielberg
Apparently, Spielberg meant this as an homage to old
films noir – or at least they are a stated influence on this film (which is a mélange
of many influences). This allowed me to get over what seemed to be a flawed
ending, too obvious, too slow to play out once the villain is already exposed –
but, in actuality, many of the old noirs (especially those with late-breaking
villains) also played out in this way. And Minority Report’s ending, when you
ponder it, isn’t quite as simple as it seems because the villain’s choice
really could have gone either way, cementing the fact that it was a choice
(i.e. the key to the whole film). Seeing this film again (decades later) made
me think I really need to read more Philip K. Dick novels, having only read A
Scanner Darkly, which was great, claustrophobic and paranoid, but great. Minority Report is also paranoid, about a
future where three “pre-cog” individuals (led by Samantha Morton) lay in a
milky pool in a Washington DC office building having visions of future murders,
either premeditated (brown ball) or crimes of passion (red ball). This has
enabled a “pre-crime” task force to apprehend murders before they actually
commit their crimes. The Year is 2054
and they chase criminals using jetpacks. Of
course, this is also a Tom Cruise action film, but don’t let that dissuade you –
he’s playing a drug-addicted father of child who has been abducted (and
presumably killed). So, there’s a grimness to the film that is solidified by
its murky cinematography (by Janusz Kaminski) providing glimpses to a high tech
but grimy future (with shadowy burnt out areas not unlike those in Escape from
New York). Once the plot kicks into high gear, there are some action scenes,
allowing Cruise to strut his stuff, but the vibe here is dark, not fun. Worth a
relook, if it has been awhile.
