A few weeks ago I saw the new Bladerunner movie. It was by far my most expensive trip to the cinema, as my bike was stolen while watching the movie. While that part was pretty bummer (imagine the feeling, when you’re leaving the cinema and looking for your bike just to realise it isn’t there) the movie was great. It’s by far the most beautiful, haunting and desperate movie I have seen in a long time.
The story takes place in 2049. 30 years after the first Bladerunner film. They don’t have a lot in common, other than sharing the same setting and theme. We follow “K”, a blade runner (played by Ryan Gosling), who unearths what seems to be an open-an-shut case, but which turns into something much more. “K” is a replicant. An android, whose job is to do as he is told. He is working for the LAPD, hunting down older versions of replicants who have gone rogue. While on a mission, he unearths something, which leads him even deeper into the rabbit hole and makes him question everything he stands for and if he is doing the right thing.
It is somewhat hard to describe Gosling’ character. He is a quiet “man”, yet utterly deadly when he resorts to violence. He doesn’t share a lot of emotions, but he is really connected to his virtual girlfriend, Joy.
The movie is hauntingly beautiful. I have rarely seen a film with such a dedicated look and vision. While 2049 might seem far out, in reality it is not that far away. While they do have some futuristic technology (flying cars, holograms and such), it’s still very low-tech in other areas. A lot of data seems to have been wiped out in some kind of cataclysmic event, so they have to resort to what equals to micro-films when searching for data.
The movie takes its time to tell its story, which is really refreshing. Far too often, we see movies with little to no character development and where everything is rushed just to tell an overarching story. While it is clocking in at 164 minutes (or close to 3 hours) it doesn’t drag on. The pacing is good and I wasn’t bored at any point, though somebody who expects a more action packed movie might be in for a surprise. There’s not a lot of action, but when it’s there, it is high impact and really intense.
It is one of those movies that is hard to describe. There’s a lot going on and you have to figure parts of it out yourself. The dystopian setting really sets the mood and underlines that the future is not always bright and happy. The acting is really great all around. The only character that doesn’t really makes sense, is Jared Leto’s, as he doesn’t have any impact on the story. However that would be something that could very well be really interesting to see in an extended edition or such, as I imagine some scenes have been cut that involves him.
All in all I can only recommend Blade Runner 2049. You don’t necessarily have to be a science fiction freak to like it, but it helps. The acting is great, it is really beautiful and the soundtrack is out of this world. Hans Zimmer strikes back for Gods know which time. Just listening to one of the songs with the sireen (you know it when you hear it) stresses me out like nothing else. I just tenses up, that’s how powerful it is. While the movie might not be for everybody, if you like some good hard science fiction and is a sucker for a slow pacing, then it might just be the right movie for you.