Steven Spielberg resides on the cusp of fiction and a could-be reality with his latest film Minority Report. With several levels of meaning, the film ranges from a sci-fi thriller to a poignant look at the country’s future. Fantastically spellbinding, the futuristic world of Minority Report doesn’t compare to anything ever viewed on the big screen. Mesmerizing special effects are intertwined with moral dilemmas and ethical questions. With meticulous attention spent on every detail, the film
engrosses its audience and forces them to ponder the future of society.
2054. Washington D.C. Murder is obsolete. Seen before they happen, murders are prevented by the Justice Department’s Pre-Crime unit, headed by John Anderton (Tom Cruise). Anderton is a down and out detective, who has lost everything. In the eyes of Anderton, the Pre-Crime system is flawless. The three “Pre-Cogs,” who foresee the details of the murders, have never been wrong and the accuracy of the Pre-Crime system has never been questioned. Until now.
As the movie unfolds, the future has been seen. Anderton is the next to be arrested for murder. In disbelief he is forced to run. On the lam, Anderton discovers the pitfalls of the future, where legal rights and privacy no longer exist. Chased by his colleagues in the Pre-Crime division and by his young, ambitious adversary, FBI agent Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell), Anderton must find the truth. Is he being set up, or is there really a flaw in the “Pre-Cogs'” premonitions.
Production started on Minority Report three years ago when director Steven Spielberg contracted a group of “futurists.” The group brainstormed concepts from city landscapes to futuristic weapons according to the movie’s official website.
“I thought it would be a good idea to bring together some of the best minds in technology, environment, crime fighting, medicine, health, social services, computer technology and other fields into one room to discuss what the future a half a century hence would be like,” Spielberg said.
Spielberg has directed other films set in the future including A.I. Artificial Intelligence, as well as producing science fiction films like Back to the Future and Men in Black. Having received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute and five Golden Globe Awards, Spielberg is considered, by many, as a trend setting and groundbreaking filmmaker.
“Steven is a great American story teller,” Cruise said. “He’s given us so many moments of real cinema joy.”
There is no doubt that Spielberg’s “futurists” were hard at work imagining fascinating ideas of the future. The movie takes a unique approach to depicting the mass media. From newscasts that appear on the sides of buildings, to newspaper pages that update readers as the news breaks, the media is inescapable. Infiltrating society, the media makes it impossible for Anderton to hide.
“Big Brother is watching us now,” Spielberg said. “What little privacy we have will completely evaporate in twenty or thirty years, because technology will be able to see through walls, through rooftops, into the very privacy of our personal lives, into the sanctuary of our families.”
The well-rounded cast consists of veterans Tom Cruise and Max Von Sydow, as well as novice actors including Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton.
Tom Cruise gives a convincing performance. However, as a top-billed, $20-million dollar star, a more compelling array of emotions would have been much appreciated. Haven’t moviegoers already viewed Cruise running trough the streets, with that strained, huffing look on his face in films like The Firm, Mission Impossible and Vanilla Sky?
Colin Farrell steals Cruise’s thunder. Farrell’s roguish good looks aren’t the only thing commendable about his performance. Although Farrell is in only half the scenes, he makes up for it with his convincing portrayal of a villain. In the end, his expressive eyes beautifully convey his heart-breaking realization of betrayal.
When “everyone runs,” the media follow. In an age where murder can be predicted before it happens, creepy mechanical spiders enable law enforcement agencies to track down humans, and the news announces to the public the latest crimes; is there anywhere to run? If Minority Report is a glimpse into what the future entails, a scary world awaits — for murder might be eliminated, but then again, so will privacy.
