Looper is a film about time travel. And telekinesis. Sort of. And crime.
It has good and bad points in all of those categories.
Its time travel mechanic is one of variability. The future in Looper is in a state of constant flux, with past events affecting the course of post-history for those who travel back in time. The Bruce Willis version of the main character has a good description of the way it works: his memories between 'now' and the time he left from, he explains, are no longer memories; they are a haze of possibilities, the older the hazier, until the moment passes when they become clear again. This is as clear as the film gets, which is all to the good, as it is rarely helpful to go into too much detail unless the time travel is the point, and in Looper it isn't. Neither is the telekinesis, which makes it a little odd that it's in there, save to make a small child into a threat.
The point of the film is about sacrifice; what people are prepared to give up and for what. Young Joe starts off not wanting to give up his future comfort for a friend, while Older Joe will kill children to get his life and his wife back, but not to give her up to save her. By the end of the film, Joe gives up his life to give the future - and a child - a chance.
The performances are strong, with JGL and Willis presenting the two Joes with an balance which means neither comes off as 'right', or even significantly better than the other. Emily Blunt is always good, although special mention has to go to the kid, who is wicked creepy. On a technical note, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Bruce Willis make-up is a little creepy and I like the heavy use of practical effects.
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