Film Snail

Minority Report
Minority Report

7.3

Minority Report

PG-13·2002·145m

Summary

John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge.

Cast

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Chief John Anderton

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton

Agatha

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell

Danny Witwer

Max von Sydow

Max von Sydow

Director Lamar Burgess

Kathryn Morris

Kathryn Morris

Lara Clarke

Steve Harris

Steve Harris

Jad

Neal McDonough

Neal McDonough

Fletcher

Patrick Kilpatrick

Patrick Kilpatrick

Knott

Jessica Capshaw

Jessica Capshaw

Evanna

Daniel London

Daniel London

Wally the Caretaker

Lois Smith

Lois Smith

Dr. Iris Hineman

Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson

Gideon

Peter Stormare

Peter Stormare

Dr. Solomon Eddie

Caroline Lagerfelt

Caroline Lagerfelt

Greta van Eyck

Jason Antoon

Jason Antoon

Rufus Riley at Cyber Parlor

Mike Binder

Mike Binder

Leo Crow

Arye Gross

Arye Gross

Howard Marks

Ashley Crow

Ashley Crow

Sarah Marks

Joel Gretsch

Joel Gretsch

Donald Doobin

Anna Maria Horsford

Anna Maria Horsford

Casey

Sarah Simmons

Lamar Burgess' Secretary

George D. Wallace

George D. Wallace

Chief Justice Pollard

Ann Ryerson

Ann Ryerson

Dr. Katherine James

Tyler Patrick Jones

Tyler Patrick Jones

Older Sean

Dominic Scott Kay

Dominic Scott Kay

Younger Sean

Jessica Harper

Jessica Harper

Anne Lively

Bertell Lawrence

John Doe

Richard Coca

Richard Coca

Pre-Crime Cop

Keith Campbell

Keith Campbell

Pre-Crime Cop

Kirk B.R. Woller

Kirk B.R. Woller

Pre-Crime Cop

Frank Grillo

Frank Grillo

Pre-Crime Cop

Klea Scott

Klea Scott

Pre-Crime Cop

Eugene Osment

Eugene Osment

Jad's Technician

James Henderson

Office Worker

Vené L. Arcoraci

Vené L. Arcoraci

Office Worker

Erica Ford

Employee

Keith Flippen

Keith Flippen

Tour Guide

Nathan Taylor

Kid Tourist

Radmar Agana Jao

Radmar Agana Jao

Technician

Karina Logue

Karina Logue

Technician

Elizabeth Anne Smith

Technician

Victoria Garcia-Kelleher

Victoria Garcia-Kelleher

Technician

Jim Rash

Jim Rash

Technician

Stephen Ramsey

Jucket - Agent #1

Tom Choi

Tom Choi

Paymen - Agent #2

Tom Whitenight

Tom Whitenight

Price - Agent #3

William Morts

William Morts

Foley - Agent #4

Michael Dickman

Arthur

Matthew Dickman

Dashiell

William Mesnik

Cyber Parlor Customer

Franklin Scott

Conceited Customer

Severin Wunderman

Skiing Customer

Max Trumpower

Homeless Person

Allie Raye

Hamburger Mom

Rocael Leiva

Rocael Leiva

Hamburger Dad

Nicholas Edwin Barb

Homework Boy

Catfish Bates

Tenement Snitch

Danny Parker-Lopes

Danny Parker-Lopes

Man

Vanessa Cedotal

Woman

Katy Boyer

Katy Boyer

Mother

Adrianna Kamosa

Child

Kari Gordon

Child

Elizabeth Kamosa

Child

Raquel Gordon

Child

Laurel Kamosa

Child

Fiona Hale

Fiona Hale

Old Woman

Pamela Roberts

Pamela Roberts

Violent Wife

Clement Blake

Clement Blake

Husband

Jerry Perchesky

Grandfather

Victor Raider-Wexler

Victor Raider-Wexler

Attorney General Nash

Nancy Linehan Charles

Nancy Linehan Charles

Celeste Burgess

Nadia Axakowsky

Reporter

Dude Walker

Dude Walker

Reporter

Tony Hill

Reporter

Drakeel Burns

Reporter

William Mapother

William Mapother

Hotel Clerk

Morgan Hasson

Paperboy

Andrew Sandler

Marks' Son

Bonnie Morgan

Bonnie Morgan

Contortionist

Kathi Copeland

Murder Bystander

Ana Maria Quintana

Ana Maria Quintana

Murder Bystander

Lucille M. Oliver

Lucille M. Oliver

Murder Bystander

Gene Wheeler

Murder Bystander

Tonya Ivey

Gap Girl

David Stifel

David Stifel

Lycon - Seller of Black Inhalers

Kurt Sinclair

Adulation #1

Rebecca Ritz

Adulation #2

Beverly Morgan

Adulation #3

John Bennett

John Bennett

Adulation #4

Maureen Dunn

Adulation #5

Ron Ulstad

Adulation #6

Blake Bashoff

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

David Doty

David Doty

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Gina Gallego

Gina Gallego

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

David Hornsby

David Hornsby

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Anne Judson-Yager

Anne Judson-Yager

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Meredith Monroe

Meredith Monroe

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Benita Krista Nall

Benita Krista Nall

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Shannon O'Hurley

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Jorge-Luis Pallo

Jorge-Luis Pallo

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Elizabeth Payne

Elizabeth Payne

Pre-Crime Public Service Announcer

Ethan Sherman

Revo Sunglass Model

Jarah Mariano

Jarah Mariano

AMEX Polynesian Woman

Miles Dinsmoor

Guinness Man

Vanessa Asbert

Vanessa Asbert

Bulgari Model

Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson

Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Cameron Crowe

Cameron Crowe

Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz

Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Steven Spielberg

Screenplay

Scott Frank

Screenplay

Jon Cohen

Short Story

Philip K. Dick

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

April 13, 2016

9

Spielberg does Tech-Noir!

The year is 2054 and the murder rate in Washington is zero, the reason? Three Pre-Cognitives (each named after a literary great) whose combined abilities witness murders before they actually occur. Apparently faultless, it's then something of a surprise to Pre-Crime chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) when the Pre-Cogs predict he is to murder a man named Leo Crow. Forced to go on the run, and haunted by a family tragedy, Anderton must evade the system he so perfectly executed himself. Can he find a flaw? Or is he actually about to commit a murder?

Everybody Runs! That was the tag line that accompanied the explosive trailer for Steven Spielberg's, Tom Cruise starrer, Minority Report. This marketing tool indicated that the great bearded one had adapted from the Phillip K Dick short story and created an action monster? He hadn't, he had in fact created something far far better than popcorn fodder.

Minority Report was the next project for Spielberg following the equally dark and intriguing AI: Artificial Intelligence, both films serving to note that Spielberg was capable of thought provoking science fiction outside of the standard crowd pleasers that many critics love to decry. In fact, it's arguable that Spielberg may have hit his creative peak with Minority Report, for the messages and crawling dystopian bleakness on show paint a picture not so much as a future far away in our lives, but of one we live in now. Big thematic points of reference dot themselves throughout the piece. Such as the changing of eye balls, or that in these post 9/11 years we yearn, and always will, to be safer.

Here in this bleached shadowy world, a world of metallic tones and visual stings (ace cinematographer Janusz Kaminski on duty), we are safe under Pre-Crime. Yet still it's a world without soul, it has no heart, it's almost as if inhuman in itself, suggesting that the World's problems are not easily vanquished by technology - a total sacrifice of the World's inhabitant's souls. Spielberg of course is well served by the supreme professionals he has at his disposal, he has also managed to garner a great performance from Tom Cruise, something that critic and fan favourite directors have not managed to do previously. Believable grief, action work as strong as ever, it is however with his ability to imbue a tortured film noir protagonist where Cruise excels the most.

Alongside Cruise and operating with great impact are Samantha Morton as Pre-Cog Agatha and Max Von Sydow, the latter adding that touch of experienced know how needed for his particularly important character. The odd casting choice appeared to be Colin Farrell as the meddling, almost vindictive Danny Witwer, but he plays well off of Cruise, this even if he veers dangerously close to comic book villainy at times (check out a holy smoke Batman scene). What action there is is first rate, from a jet back pack pursuit, to car jumping heroics, the sequences are crafted with Spielberg's deft eye for an action sequence. While the sick sticks (yes you read right) metal spiders and a brilliant Peter Stormare cameo should hopefully have you squirming and grinning in equal measure.

Which brings us to the finale, an ending that may not be a complete surprise (yet it still doesn't cop-out in context to Anderton's tragedy), but things are rounded off in true classic noir tradition, where it closes down a thinking man's tech-noir. Superb. 9/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$102,000,000.00

Revenue:

$358,372,926.00

Keywords

washington dc, usa
police chief
precognition
hologram
futuristic
murder
conspiracy
police chase
drugs
biting
home video
based on short story
ex-husband ex-wife relationship
mentor protégé relationship
tech noir
stasis
paranoid
prevention
missing son
future noir
loss of child
surveillance state
psychic vision
conspiracy thriller
2050s
suspenseful
critical
intense