 |
| Courtesy of Universal |
I
already know the movie is going to be divisive – it’s unapologetically
sentimental and not afraid to resort to cheesy moments to engage viewers’ emotions
– but I’m not ashamed to admit I loved every minute of it. I had a stupid grin
on my face the entire time, even when I succumbed to the tears the cynical side
of my brain recognized Curtis was setting me up to shed from the opening scenes.
The
charming Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows) plays Tim Lake, a timid, likable guy whose biggest dream in life is finding
the love of the right woman. Despite his best efforts, he’s still no closer to
attaining that goal at 21-years-old. However, the morning after a killer New
Year’s Eve party and another failed attempt at romance, Tim’s father (the
delightful Bill Nighy, basically playing the best dad in the whole wide world)
reveals one whopper of a secret: the men in his family have the ability to
travel through time.
In
an amusing conversation establishing the film’s restrictive time travel rules,
Tim’s father tells him he can only go backwards, and only revisit moments that
happened in his own life (“it’s not like you can go back and kill Hitler or
something”). He also provides Tim with some advice that establishes the story’s
intimate stakes and penchant for schmaltz: instead of using time travel to acquire
an excessive amount of wealth and power, he should only use his gift to make
his life genuinely fulfilling.
For
our protagonist, that means one thing: true love, which he eventually finds
with Mary (Rachel McAdams, adorable in her third time travel flick in five
years – apparently, she’s a big fan of the concept too). However, when Tim uses
his gift to help his friend avert a career-related disaster, it wipes out the
perfect couple’s chance meeting. Now Mary has no clue who Tim is, a problem
he’s having a difficult time solving.
The
biggest surprise of About Time, aside from its unjustified rating (this might
be the tamest R I’ve ever seen), is how rarely Curtis incorporates time travel
into the narrative. The concept is obviously used as a metaphor to represent focusing
on what matters in life and avoiding the mistake of squandering the time we’re
given. Although the ending is telegraphed from the opening scene, the screenplay
tells a familiar story in a fresh, engaging manner. The cast’s winning
performances only enhance it further.
Cynics
will find plenty to mock or roll their eyes over, but About Time is practically
a drug for those who can still quote their favorite scenes from Notting Hill
and Love Actually. If you’ve been looking for that special movie to plan a
date night around, it’s time to buy the tickets.
About Time is rated
R for language and some sexual content.
Grade:
A-
Comments
Post a Comment