Massive spoilers below. Don't read if you haven't watched the film.
Blade Runner 2049 is a film that Ghost in the Shell wished it had been.
The movie has a heavy aura of mystique surrounding it. It doesn't spoonfeed you as many questions are left open for interpretation. It subtlety lays out a beautiful story about love in a world that is seemingly hollow from it. It is an incredible crafted film that felt like an anime in a many regards, which I thought gave the film depth that I wished that the hollywood adaption of GiTS had.
As a replicant, Agent K is in search for finding the truth as an artificial man. Being told that he shouldn't worry about things since he doesn't have a soul, perfectly captures many themes that are being alluded to in the film. K is a rebellious character that goes to great lengths in a journey to discover himself by looking for a mysterious man that might have the answers to the questions that he seeks. Little did he know that he wasn't just discovering his genesis, he was ultimately the one that came through.
Having faith that a replicant was out there, the miracle child had to find candidates that seemingly had human elements, for which K ultimately possessed - in that regard, he was much like Rachael in the original film. The miracle child's faith and his resolve perfectly came together in tandem, because I think the film asks the question about "having a soul" truly was exclusive to humans. Can artificial beings have souls? Did K have one? These are all open questions, but I think that If K didn't have "a soul", he wouldn't of been able to carry out his duty to fulfill his resolve, even after finding out the truth. Believing in miracles is one of the major themes of the film, after all.
In an effort to aspire to create the most beautiful of specimens, Wallace discovery of "the miracle" started a process of deterioration in which his world that he meticulously had built up - started to crumble. Seeing the pain through Luv's eyes perfectly portrays the reaction of losing absolute control that they safeguarded and nurtured, thus strenghthening their resolve to do anything possible to continue to uphold that position of power.
There are so many elements in this film that makes you appeciate the way the story is being told. From Sapper mentioning "the miracle" before his retirement - to the long game played by the miracle child to connect with her distant father, are all impressively executed. When she finally sees her own memory return back to her, suggesting that one of the replicants finally came through is one of the most powerful scenes in the entire film, since it's a scene that you don't fully appreciate until we later uncover the truth. Majestic. Everything is laid out with finesse and detail that makes the film such a powerful experience.
As for the cinematography, Roger Deakins will without a doubt win an Academy for this. Every scene was absolutely amazing. The visuals, the camera angels. Incredible. Absolutely incredible. The direction was on point by Villeneuve that creates a film that he wants to create. Nothing here is rushed, nothing here is in there for the sake of things. It's all there to tell you something.
As for the acting, this was an incredible feat from everyone. They were all on point. Everyone was playing their A game in this, and it truly shows.
This film is incredible, and I can't wait for the 4K bluray collectors edition for this one. I need to see it again, and again.
A+
