Minority Report (2002)

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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.