Watch: 'Looper' star Emily Blunt talks about playing mother and chopping logs

Pierce Gagnon is not a name most people know at this point, but after they see "Looper," it is a name they'll want to learn.  Gagnon positively steals the film out from under the already-outstanding adult cast that includes Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Garret Dillahunt, and Emily Blunt, who plays Sara, mother to Gagnon's character, Cid.

Gagnon was five years old when they shot his part in the film, and it's an amazing performance for an actor of any age.  I think Rian Johnson and his cast did something very special in capturing his work, and that was one of the things I really wanted to discuss with her when we sat down during Toronto.

It feels like I interview Blunt about four times a year now, which is a perfectly lovely arrangement as far as I'm concerned.  She's a smart performer, and she's been making great choices for the last few years, starring in a number of films that I've enjoyed, racking up one strong performance after another.

In this case, Blunt doesn't really come into the film until about halfway through, and she and her son both play a pivotal role in the overall story of "Looper," but one that's not immediately evident.  As a result, it's been hard to discuss the work she does or that Gagnon does, so now that the film's finally starting to screen, it's time to finally start having that conversation.

It sounds like everyone on the film was invested in making it work, and they all believed in what Rian Johnson wrote.  It's a great bit of world-building, and I enjoyed discussing the work with her, as well as how she fits into it.  I'm a huge fan of the movie, and I can't wait for you guys to be able to join the conversation.

"Looper" opens Friday in theaters everywhere.

Drew McWeeny
Film Editor

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A respected critic and commentator for fifteen years, Drew McWeeny helped create the online film community as "Moriarty" at Ain't It Cool News, and now proudly leads two budding Film Nerds in their ongoing movie education.