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Review Archive
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    		•

    FILMS

    Minority Report (2002)
  • Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Tim Blake Nelson, Steve Harris, Kathryn Morris

  • Directed by Steven Spielberg

  • Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick


    • It seems that this film had a very polar response, much in the same way that A.I. did upon its release. It is my impression that people either love it or hate it. Does this mean that we have mixed feelings about Spielberg, or is it well-done, thoughtful science fiction films which we're unsure about? Or is it rather that this emotional response is a signal of a film that is so well-done that it makes people have an opinion?

    Let's face it, films like The Scorpion King or Dude, Where's My Car only get talked about because of their box-office returns (large or lack thereof as the case may be), not about their artistic content, philosophical agenda, moral dilemma, or cinematic merits. No, no. Never about these things. This is not to say these aren't enjoyable films—that's up to the individual. But they're not talked-about films. They're not studied or considered.

    There is something to Minority Report, though. Many may easily dismiss this film because of their hatred for Tom Cruise ("he's so smug and handsome, he's not actually a good actor") or for Steven Spielberg ("every film he does makes so much money, he's not that good of a director") or for Philip K. Dick ("I know dick about Dick, so make up your own sarcastic, fictitious quote here."). And, of course, the genre itself is always an easy target. Media coverage of sci-fi conventions or of Star Wars fans camp-out for tickets always makes for easy pickings when aiming to blast the genre. (Insert Comic-book Guy from The Simpsons here: "Best use of A.I. mechanical spiders, EVAR.")

    Love it or hate it, there was a lot of thought and care that went into making this film. That doesn't mean it's good or bad—it does, however, mean that it looks fantastic. There's a reality texture to Minority Report that many science fiction films miss. This isn't just an SF world plopped down onto the screen. It's a real world that these real characters live in. There's advertisements (as intrusive as ever!) and there's dirt.

    Maybe that's what I'm looking for. Filth. Science fiction always seems to be better when the future isn't utopic and clean—I like the future to be dirty. I want it to be dirty. Some of the best science fiction portrays a technologically advanced setting, but it do gots some dirt to it. Aliens, Blade Runner, Dark City...the dirt adds a layer of believability to it. Star Trek for all its fandom, doesn't seem to realize that humans create dirt and filth—and those ships stay awfully clean for having such a large crew!

    But back to Minority Report. I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you this much: I liked it. In fact, I loved it. Say what you will about my ability to discern a good film from a bad one, but I liked it. I have never read Dick's story before so I can't comment on where the film diverges, or what it gets correct. But I found that it was a fully engaging murder mystery which takes a horrifying concept (i.e., the use of precogs to arrest people before they commit a crime) and offers moral dilemmas and situational dilemmas for the hero, a proponent of the PreCog organization. Minority Report also takes the murder mystery genre and turns it on its head. (This is something that, probably, should be accredited to Dick since it was originally his story.)

    The suspense is good, the story is well-developed, and the acting is good. I don't have anything against Tom Cruise—but if you do, you probably won't like this film. But he's not bad. Honest. Samantha Morton, who portrays the precog Agatha, does an incredible job. She's so fragile and mentally fractured and frightened...I couldn't help but feel bad for her, being abused so. (She's also cute in that Sinead O' Connor, bald-chick type of way.)

    I will say this: The plot is darn confusing. Whenever you get into prediction and precognition you'll run into the chicken and the egg scenario and your head will explode trying to figure out the cause/effect of the events. I found myself questioning what actually happened after the film was over. But that's not a bad thing. Minority Report is the type of film that I like to see twice—once to get the story down, again to make sure I understand it (as best as possible).