Now in Theaters
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford
Absolutely mesmerizing. Blade Runner: 2049 is a gem. From the opening shot it is clear that Denis Villeneuve has a close eye for detail when it comes to the reference material. That’s not to say that the prior film is required viewing at all. 2049 is a master stroke in the way it sequelizes the series without deluding it to its essence.
**This won’t get spoilery, but skip this review if you’re sensitive to these kinds of things. Just know this: this tMbU member says GO SEE IT!**
Ryan Gosling does a great job as the vessel for the hanging question from the first film. Which is largely what this is all about. What does it mean to human? Is objectification and dehumanization acceptable in some cases? And these questions are deftly asked. Harrison Ford’s inclusion is well-played and doesn’t seem like a nostalgia grab and Jared Leto is great as the inheritor of the corporate mastermind. Not to mention the fantastic performances by Mackenzie Davis, Robin Wright, Sylvia Hoeks, and especially Ana de Armas, who is tasked with playing Ryan Gosling’s holographic girlfriend. She is, I believe, charged with the most difficult chore here, and she excels.
More than anything, though, I am impressed by the score. It is at times melodic, hopeful, and dreamy and in the next scene droning and synthetic. It’s the work of veterans Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, so it should come as no surprise that they are capable of providing most of the tension in the film. The score breeds this tension so well that it almost feels like the movie’s biggest and brightest star.
I love this movie and can’t recommend it enough. After last year’s Arrival and 2015’s Sicario, Villeneuve has executed another piece of great technical film making. The combination of brilliant set design, affecting score and well-rounded performances leave you with the most appropriate feeling of emptiness. It’s a movie that feels like a gut shot when its through, but the kind that feels enlivening. Absolutely worth the watch.