About Time

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Tom Hollander
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance, Fantasy
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learns that all the men in his family can travel in time. He decides to use his powers to woo the woman (Rachel McAdams) of his dreams.

Review:

Tim: I have to admit that About Time is a far better movie than I originally expected. Yes, Rachel McAdams has made some surprisingly good movies before. Yes, Richard Curtis has been involved in some classic romantic movies. But this film was about time travel and love (and I know that worked for The Time Traveler's Wife), and it just didn't seem to be all that exciting. When you add all that up, my initial perceptions were wrong- this is actually a really, really good film.

The initial premise is pretty fascinating. A man discovers that all the men in his family can time travel. They can only travel to the past, though. This immediately opens up a myriad of fun possibilities for a romantic drama. Obviously, this is an incredible power that one could use to woo someone. The danger is that this could come across as very manipulative. That's never an issue here. This film presents its story in a sweet and goofy manner and it all seems very appropriate. The fact that the film struck the right tone was absolutely essential.

The cast is very interesting. The lead role goes to Domhnall Gleeson, son of actor Brendan Gleeson. I have to say that I was somewhat impressed with Gleeson and yet, somewhat disappointed as well. He certainly has some terrific everyman qualities- he's an actor to whom it is easy to relate. And yet, and the same time, I never felt a real connection to him. I didn't care very much about his character and never felt any emotional pull for him. That hurts the film. Rachel McAdams is good. She is an actress that when I think about her, she never seems that appealing. And yet, as a movie goes on, she subtly gets under your skin. She didn't do anything special or particularly noticeable here, and yet, I still felt a connection with her. That's one of her biggest strengths as an actress.

Bill Nighy, on the other hand, is absolutely incredible. I would have given him at least an Academy Award nomination for this role. I just loved his character in this film. I felt such a powerful emotional connection with him. When I think about Gleeson and my lack of connection with him, Nighy was the exact opposite. He gives a charming, powerful, emotional performance that is incredibly memorable. I admit I did get choked up near the end, and that is due to Nighy's remarkable performance. He was overlooked come awards' time, because his performance here was my favorite part of this movie.

The rest of the cast was fine, but they were mostly forgettable performances. Margot Robbie was the only stand out, and she has a very small role. I wouldn't say any of the other supporting characters were especially good or bad, they just fade into the movie.

The time travel aspect put a funny, original flavor on this film, but it never dominated the story. This is truly a romantic drama first and foremost. The time travel aspects accentuate the story, never dominate it. That was brilliant and likely significantly difficult to pull off. I give Richard Curtis great credit for his script and direction. Now, this movie is too long at 123 minutes and some of the lesser subplots should have been cut. Those and Gleeson's inexperience do hurt the movie and prevent it from greatness.

While About Time does have some flaws (and a bland title), this movie far surpassed my expectations. I really, really enjoyed this movie. Romantic movies are certainly challenging and this film is a terrific example of how the genre really can work. This movie is well worth seeing and I definitely recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Time Traveler's Wife, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral