The year is 2054. In many ways, the United States is the same five decades into the future as it is today, but, in other, important ways, it has changed. Washington D.C., once the murder capital of America, is now the safest place to live - thanks to the Department of Pre-Crime, an elite taskforce of law officers who, by using predictive capability, know that a murder is going to happen before it takes place. Armed with that knowledge, they can arrest someone before they commit the crime. The head of the department is Director Burgess (Max von Sydow), a dispassionate man who has shepherded the group through its trial runs and is now on the verge of losing control of it as it goes national. His right hand man, Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise), is in an equally precarious position.
Predestination or free will? It's a question that has obsessed philosophers and religious scholars throughout history. To understand where Minority Report is headed, one has to ponder whether free will makes the future a possibility rather than a certainty or whether that future is set and cannot be altered. In this case, there's another complication - is the Precog's vision accurate, or has it in some way been tampered with? Perhaps Anderton isn't actually going to kill, but has been set up by a clever and knowledgeable criminal who wants him out of the way.
Such paradoxes and musing lie at the heart of Minority Report. Here's the biggest one of all: Is it possible that the act of accusing someone of a murder could begin a chain of events that leads to the slaying. In Anderton's situation, he runs because he is accused. The only reason he ends up in circumstances where he might be forced to kill is because he is a hunted man. Take away the accusation, and there would be no question of him committing a criminal act. The prediction drives the "act" - a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can see the vicious circle, and it's delicious to ponder. Not since Memento has a movie twisted things this much.
Scott Frank, based on the short-story by Philip K. Dick, penned the screenplay. The special effects serve the ingenuity of the script, not the other way around. The vision of the future is every bit as eye-popping and consistent (and a bit scary). The computer generated graphics blend seamlessly with the live-action shots.
The choice of Tom Cruise as John Anderton is a case of perfect casting. During the past two decades Cruise has proven that he is adept at playing the action hero and handling, smaller dramatic roles. Anderton is an active individual, but he's not a superman, he is a better developed character than Cruise's Mission: Impossible alter ego. Cruise's primary support comes from a trio of non-American actors. British actress Samantha Morton brings a deeply felt pathos to Agatha. Max von Sydow plays Anderton's boss, mentor and friend. And Irishman Colin Farrell bites into the part of the film villain with relish.
This picture is an achievement, much needed for Speilberg after A.I. This film may arguably be the best escapist entertainment Speilberg has produced in the last two decades, rivaling Raiders of the Lost Ark. What's more, it affirms that, even in the 21st century, summer movies do not have to be brain-dead to be exciting. When the season is over, Minority Report will stand out as the best summer picture of 2002.
Porculus
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