l have had a couple of relationships in my life, all of them ending in similar ways, their voices melting into a beautiful requiem: are you going to do this for the rest of your life?
Emma poured the scalding coffee into two mugs that had the word Sundance in gold. She wore almost nothing below and there were scabs on the middle of her thigh.
"You are a god send" We were staying at a friend's apartment near the festival that both had their favorite object in world: Kees van der Westen Speedster coffee machine.
The wind was harsh. l looked towards Emma's face: large, expressive brown eyes that made her immediately approachable - she had the uncanny habit to chat with the cashier in a supermarket to A-list celebrities.
l fear that my great affection and devotion toward Emma will rise like a graduation cap tossed into the air, only to fall like tears shed in farewell to friends made in those four years. Although the days we spent together have fallen into a sweet, indistinct blur, l still remember the small things: she loves horror as much as she loved fame and preferred calls over texts much to my chagrin. Like all of my past relationships, ours was bound together by a shared love of art, especially the theater. We believed it to be the greatest of all art forms—the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.
My ex girlfriend Jazzy loved musicals - she would rush to the Tony Kisser Theatre on Fridays: raw concrete walls that l disliked, and she hated the metro ("it smelled like piss"; when people danced on the poles she would get second hand embarrassment)
The TV was playing ESPN highlights: Roger Federer hitting a backhand winner down the line and Green-Ellis rushed a 7-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter. It was clearly laggy and broadcaster voice sounded robotic.
"You played any sports?" Emma said.
"Tennis. Thought l told you. l did for about two years but l tore my meniscus"
"God. My sister injured her wrist playing badminton. Of all the sports, she loved that one"
"l mean, l love tennis. Anything wrong with that?"
"What else do you fall in love with?"
l smiled, l finished my coffee - straight sugar and sediment. "Love? In tennis? Nothing"
She looked towards the window. Large flakes of snow reflected in my mug.
She smiled and looked a the tabs on the laptop: Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and the Guardian.
"Nothing? You also love yourself" She pointed to the tabs.
The articles were positive towards the film and there was one bookmarked. The Pulitzer-winning Roger Ebert's review called Crime and Crime Again, ★★★☆½:
Rian Johnson's "Looper," a smart and tricky sci-fi story, sidesteps the paradoxes of time travel by embracing them. Most time travel movies run into trouble in the final scenes, when impossibilities pile up one upon another. This film leads to a startling conclusion that wipes out the story's paradoxes so neatly it's as if it never happened. You have to grin at the ingenuity of Johnson's screenplay and his great luck in casting newcomer Ryan Stone.
The plot: Stone plays Joe, the triggerman in 2044. Bruce Willis plays Old Joe, sent back from the future. The loop is not closed, however, because Old Joe arrives without a hood, and Young Joe hesitates when he realizes his latest target is … himself. He knew that would happen eventually (it's part of the deal), but a hood would have prevented him from knowing which victim was himself.
This leads to the kind of weird scene that only time travel makes possible. The two Joes go to a nearby diner, grab a booth, and have a conversation. Imagine that you're sitting across from yourself with a three-decade age difference. This is an opening for an endless conversation about the emotional and metaphysical implications of the meeting, but Johnson perhaps wisely makes their conversation more pragmatic. Perhaps professional hit men aren't inclined toward philosophy, and both actors play it perfectly.
Rian Johnson's first feature was the well received, low-budget indie titled "Brick" (2005), which told a high-school story in a film noir style.The second was the con-man puzzlement "The Brothers Bloom" (2009). Now time travel. In all three, he begins with generic expectations and then confounds them. The key is in his actors chemistry. "Looper" weaves between past and present in a way that gives the actors opportunities to create a surprisingly involving narrative.
"How could l love myself too much? God gave me beauty"
She looked at the time on the corner of the TV. "When does your interview start?"
"Soon, l have to go to the Washington House Hotel"
"Okay" We leaned in for a quick kiss; the sport highlights finished and the Aussie commentator seemed to talk through the screen: the world number one is looking good here in Melbourne
***
Newfound fame is a bizarre thing. One day you're just another ant feeding the queen alongside the colony, and the next day a little kid draws a line in the sand, separating you from your kind.
"Are you in the movie Looper" A teenager asked me, her breath formed a white cloud in the cold.
"Yes."
"Can you sign my brochure."
"Absolutely".
"Im going to see your interview with Conan" She left as quickly she approached.
l smiled and walked towards the lodge hotel that looked as old as the festival.
"Hello, Mr. Stone"
His wire-rim eyeglasses and thick white beard gave him a friendly aura.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Im Kenneth Turan, Hollywood Reporter. l saw Looper two days ago. It was a joy"
"All of Rian's genius"
"Yes, l was there when Brick premiered some years ago. l know", he laughed, "i'm too old"
"Me too"
He smirked, "Lets sit down". The lobby was filled with people about, some executives and film enthusiasts walked by us - some of them giving us stares.
"l have to know. How were you approached for this project?"
"A simple audition. You should have seen. l was so new and nervous. And when l heard Bruce and Emily were attached l thought my manager Mark was pranking me"
"True great luck. Was it different from your first feature, Margin Call?"
"Yes. Margin Call was Chandor's first film and l noticed he gave a lot of trust to other actors. A director who lets the actors improv and flow is a joy to watch and be apart of"
l leaned forward, "While Rian. He has this clear vision and so sure of it. He wanted to create something really different and that confident let me perform to my best"
"Yes, l met Rian yesterday at the premiere. We chatted about the CGI on your face on the film, it's quite polarizing. What do you think"
"Any unique technique will be not be universally loved. I do feel a bit bad that to some it can distracted some people. l know it wasn't for that purpose, but you know its art."
"Its been done before like in Men in Black and Terminator"
"Comparing me with Will Smith and Arnold Schwarzenegger?" l chuckled, "Your too kind"
Kenneth smiled, "Did you get inspiration from those two roles? What inspired you?" He quickly took out a notepad and a pen from his jacket.
l looked towards the ceiling, "l really was just focused on focusing on Bruce's mannerism. He's a unique person"
"How will you prepare for Call Me By Your Name?"
"Oooh. A sneak peal? l'm practicing my Italian and piano skills. But honestly lm gonna let the novel be my bible for the film"
He nodded to himself. "That's all. Thank you for your time"
l did Variety next took about 8 minutes and Deadline was another 5 minutes. Same questions and one of them asked about my love life which l felt like I didn't need to respond.
Soon enough, it was the awards ceremony that was held next to Main Street that glowed beneath the yellow lights.
l arrived with the cast twenty minutes before the ceremony. Bruce looked completely calm, Emily chatted with her husband, and Rian was drinking a martini.
"You nervous" l asked to Bruce.
He half-smiled, "Are you a shitty actor?"
l kept my laughter to myself. The auditorium was larger than l expected. Hundreds of people filled the seats. From critics to ordinary movie lovers nearly all of them looked at the Looper cast.
The ceremony moved quickly. Documentary awards came first. Then international features. Each winner thanked the crew, God, and their mothers.
l thought about Emma and her smile, she left early.
The director of the ceremony said, "And now for the Audience Award: US Dramatic Competition"
My stomach tightened. The presenter smiled, "The winner is...Looper"
A standing ovation. Rian accepted the award, "This movie should not exist", he said, drawing laughter. "Nobody should trust me with time travel. But if l had to do it all again and go back l would still choose this fantastic cast"
l smiled. And when he mentioned my name l felt like l could fly out of this auditorium.
The headlines would say that it would be a shame that it didn't get the grand prize but none of them could report how grand my happiness was in my heart.