8. Utilization of Performers
Im a huge Bruce Willis fan, although you can hardly call him the most phenomenal straight performer of all time. And Im a huge fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt but, on the flip side of the coin, you can hardly say hes the most likely to win a leading role in an action movie. So, perhaps its another testament to Rian Johnson that Willis takes the brunt of the action on his shoulders, stopping to perform when needed; Levitt handles most of the deep dramatics, kicking it up a gear for some smart action when
hes needed. Both key performers here are utilized to perfection. Both Levitt and Willis are completely at home in their subtly different roles and both perform their respective parts with the sort of aplomb that can only come from both abundant talent and superior direction. You might question the casting if youve yet to watch Looper, but as soon as you see it, youll totally understand Johnsons thought process.