Minority Report

It's surprising to me that the film industry doesn't do more to honor Steven Spielberg. Isn't he due for at least four lifetime achievement awards? His two films last year, this one and Catch Me If You Can, are both masterful, entertaining and thoughtful. In this film, he creates a believable future 50 years from now (I can definitely see personalized advertising on a walk through the mall in my lifetime) showcasing a police force that can capture you just as you are about to commit a murder. His long-time collaborater, Janusz Kaminski, uses overexposure to create harshly bright images with unfocused edges, perfect for a futuristic film. And it stars two of my favorite actors -- Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell (the latter one of my three favorite actors under 35; I'll let you guess the other two). As well as Samantha Morton, who ranks up there with Emily Watson in terms of heartfelt, passionate acting. Naturally, since it's Spielberg, the themes of family are very close to the surface, and that works very nicely until the second to last scene, which was so like the last scene of Bend It Like Beckham that I had to roll my eyes. Despite a few missteps, the film is one of the few fantastic sci-fi flicks around, hence the rating.

year: 2002
length: 145 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/combined