Review of Minority Report (2002) by Filipeneto — 18 Dec 2019

One of the best films of 2002, with moral issues and a good story behind it.

What would happen if we could predict a crime with details and certainty before this same crime actually happened? This is the basic premise of this film, set in 2054, where a system was set up (Washington D.C. only) called "Pre-Crime" that allows the authorities to take precautionary action by arresting criminals in the act before committing the act. However, the entire system relies on three people with a knack for seeing crimes that have not yet happened, and which are held virtually captive and asleep, called "Pre-Cogs." However, doubts arise when Pre-Crime Division Chief John Anderton is spotted by the pre-cogs while committing a future assassination. Anderton will therefore try to understand how everything will happen and ensure that it does not happen.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is very well done. Set in the near future, there is much of the Orwellian universe here: people who are identified by the retina anywhere, as if a "big brother" watched over everything and everyone, a strong and controlling authority ... the movie, at this point, reminds a lot the works of this writer, famous for the pessimistic way in which he faced the future of humanity. The scene of the invasion of the condominium by the police spiders, in order to identify everything and everyone, is one of the moments that most reveals the controlling nature of the authorities, as if the ends justified all means, including the invasion of privacy and the home of each person. Of course, the weaknesses of the Pre-Crime system are exposed by the film and this raises complex moral and ethical questions. There is some poetic justice here, as it is someone in the system who tries to undermine the system to save itself. However, from a certain point in the movie, everything becomes increasingly clear and predictable, moving towards an ending that may, in fact, leave us wanting something more.

Tom Cruise is an actor I don't particularly like, but I must admit that with this movie he got one of the best performances of his career so far. John Anderton is a good character, and Cruise was able to gradually destroy the character's confidence convincingly. The way he worked and brought to life the main character is one of the pillars that underpins the entire film, although he collaborates well with other good actors such as Max von Sydow and Colin Farrell. They never match Cruise, just giving you the support you need.

On a technical level, and being a futuristic sci-fi movie, we should highlight the positive visual, special and CGI effects that Spielberg (who already has school at this point) has secured for the film. It was a job well done. Only those cars and airways didn't convince me, looking like something out of the Jetsons universe. Other than that, the focus is on realistic holograms, advanced computing, recreational 3D, robotics, etc. everything seems to be in line with the way humanity is developing.

It is undoubtedly a good movie, one of the best in that distant year of 2002, and it still has room on the shelves and movie channels of our day.